The Harding Academy Wildcats will be playing in front of their home fans against the Bald Knob Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Harding Academy came tearing into Thursday's game with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.7 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victor by a 7-1 margin over the Jackrabbits. Seven seems to be a good number for Harding Academy as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Even though Bald Knob couldn't quite topple Rose Bud on Tuesday, it was still a huge improvement compared to the 15-point defeat they took when the two last played. Bald Knob put the hurt on Rose Bud with a sharp 12-2 win. The victory was just what Bald Knob needed coming off of a 14-4 loss in their prior matchup.
Avarie Foust was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off nine hits. Foust was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Adianna Shoebottom and Abby Hutchison did most of the damage at the plate: Shoebottom went 1-for-3 with a home run, three runs, and four RBI, while Hutchison scored three runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-3. Willow Winkler was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Harding Academy's win was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-1. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs per game. As for Bald Knob, the victory got them back to even at 7-7.
Harding Academy took their win against Bald Knob when the teams last played back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 10-0. Does Harding Academy have another victory up their sleeve, or will Bald Knob turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
