The Huron River Rats will head out to challenge the Jefferson Bears at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Huron has now lost nine straight dating back to last season, leaving the team hunting for their first win since the 23rd.
Huron couldn't beat Pioneer on Monday even though they stacked four runs on them in the second inning. The River Rats fell 11-8 to the Pioneers.
Olivia Finnie spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and nine unearned) runs on five hits.
On the hitting side, Leah Flowers was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaitlyn Carroll, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles, one stolen base, and one run.
Meanwhile, Jefferson also suffered a loss in their last game, falling to Summerfield by a score of 9-4. That's two games in a row now that the Bears have lost by exactly five runs.
Jefferson saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Molly Hayford, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Ava Gratowski also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
Huron's loss dropped their record down to 0-3. As for Jefferson, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-8.
Huron's speedy runners might be the difference in Saturday's contest. The River Rats have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Jefferson, though, as they've been averaging only 1.1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Huron continue to outrun the ball?
Huron skirted past Jefferson 4-3 in their previous matchup back in May of 2016. The rematch might be a little tougher for the River Rats since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
