Smith County extended their losing streak to three on Wednesday, dropping their season record down to 7-7-1 in the process. They fell 8-4 to the Monterey Wildcats. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Wildcats this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 11-0 on April 8th.
As for Monterey, they are on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 14 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-9-1 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games.
For Monterey's part, Alexandrea Novak made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. Novak has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three RBI.
In other batting news, Haylee Trevathan and Kaylin Shepherd did most of the damage at the plate: Trevathan went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, while Shepherd went 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Those three hits gave Shepherd a new career-high. Haylee Garthwait was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Smith County will take on Cannon County at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. As for Monterey, they will challenge Van Buren County at 5:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
