The Crawford County Wolfpack will head out to face off against the Orleans Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Crawford County will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each match than the last.
Crawford County will bounce into Thursday's contest after beating Paoli, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Wolfpack put the hurt on the Rams with a sharp 11-1 victory on Tuesday. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since April 30, 2019, but that streak is no more.
Maddyson Sturgeon made a big impact no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Karmann Smith was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Sylvia Ferriell was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Crawford County kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last matchup, Orleans made sure to put some runs up on the board against Mitchell on Wednesday. The Bulldogs blew past the Bluejackets 11-3. The result was nothing new for the Bulldogs, who have now won eight contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Like Crawford County, Orleans also got a great game from a two-way player: Ava Cooper. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. Cooper was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run and four RBI.
In other batting news, Orleans got a massive performance out of Izzie Rutherford, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Cordelia Robbins also deserves some recognition as she scored her first runs of the season.
The win made it two in a row for Orleans and bumps their season record up to 13-3. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 3 runs in those games. As for Crawford County, their win ended a seven-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-9.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Crawford County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .321. However, it's not like Orleans struggles in that department as they've averaged .327. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Crawford County might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Orleans in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Wolfpack avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
