The Madison Southern Eagles will venture away from home to face off against the North Laurel Jaguars at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
While Madison Southern didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. Everything went their way against Harlan County last Monday as they made off with an 11-1 victory. The win was familiar territory for the Eagles, who have now won three games in a row.
Belle Strunk
| 04/07/25 @ Harlan County | 5 |
| 03/29/25 @ Somerset | 1 |
| 03/21/25 @ Rockcastle County | 1 |
| 03/11/25 vs Franklin County | 1 |
Belle Strunk made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She pitched seven innings while giving up just one earned run off eight hits. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in strikeouts (five). She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lexie Keener, who fired off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-5. What's more, she posted two runs, the most she's had over her last ten matchups. Ashlyn Estep was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-5.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when North Laurel took on Clay County on Monday. The Jaguars never let the Tigers get on the board and left with an 8-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Jaguars in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now won seven in a row.
Like Madison Southern, North Laurel also got a great game from a two-way player: Emma Carl. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out ten over seven innings pitched. Carl has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. That triple was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Bella Sizemore was incredible, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. Bella Brown also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
North Laurel's victory was their ninth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-1-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.6 runs over those games. As for Madison Southern, their record is now 8-6.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Madison Southern hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .313. However, it's not like North Laurel struggles in that department as they've averaged .395. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Madison Southern might still be hurting after the 7-0 loss they got from North Laurel in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
