The North Daviess Cougars will take on the Orleans Bulldogs at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (North Daviess 2.4, Orleans 2.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
North Daviess is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering Clay City just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Friday. They fell just short of the Eels by a score of 1-0. The shutout was out of character for the Cougars seeing as the last time the team failed to score was back in April.
Meanwhile, Orleans entered their tilt with Crawford County on Friday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They never let the Wolfpack get on the board and left with an 8-0 win. The Bulldogs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine contests by six runs or more this season.
Izzie Rutherford was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 12 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Ava Cooper was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Chelsea Ralph was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Orleans was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .433. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Crawford County only posted a batting average of .130.
Orleans' victory bumped their record up to 14-3. As for North Daviess, their loss dropped their record down to 15-6.
Everything went North Daviess' way against Orleans in their previous matchup back in May of 2023, as North Daviess made off with a 6-0 win. Do the Cougars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bulldogs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
