The Hickory Hornets will venture away from home to take on the Sharon Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Hickory proved they can win big on Thursday (they won by ten) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 victory over Ellwood City. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Hornets have posted since May 6, 2024.
AJ Jarzab spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up 18 Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one walk in eight consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Olivia Schneider, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Layla McClung, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Sharon came tearing into Wednesday's contest with eight straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.1 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They never let the Oilers get on the board and left with a 16-0 victory. Considering the Tigers have won 11 games by more than seven runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Madelyn Vogan made a splash while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 11 over four innings pitched. Vogan was also big at the plate, firing off two home runs, six RBI, and three runs while going 4-for-4. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Claire Bodien was incredible, going 1-for-2 with one home run and three RBI. Marley Bundrant also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Sharon was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .560. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Hickory has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 7-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.6 runs over those games. As for Sharon, their victory was their 18th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 13-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Hickory has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Sharon struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 12.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
