The Elgin Wildcats will take on the Hendrickson Hawks at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Elgin is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.3 runs per game this season.
On Tuesday, Elgin made easy work of Marble Falls and carried off a 7-1 victory.
Katelyn Anderson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on five hits.
On the hitting side, Sarah Herring and Jaelyn Barker did most of the damage at the plate: Herring went 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base, while Barker went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Bianca Galindo was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Hendrickson fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against East View on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Patriots by a score of 6-5. The Hawks haven't had much luck with the Patriots recently, as the team has come up short the last eight times they've met.
Hendrickson also let their pitcher toss all 8.2 innings and she was also dialed-in: Kara Luongo gave up three earned (and three unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up 11 Ks. Luongo has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 13 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Payton Shroyer was cooking despite her team's loss, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Elgin has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 6-15-1 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.8 runs over those games. As for Hendrickson, their defeat dropped their record down to 18-5.
Elgin suffered a grim 15-0 defeat to Hendrickson when the teams last played on March 3rd. Will the Wildcats have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.