Butler County had lost three straight on the road, but on Thursday they dropped down to 7-12 to make it four. They fell just short of the Franklin-Simpson Wildcats by a score of 8-6. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Wildcats this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 8-7 back in March.
Tinslea Belcher made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Carly Cardwell, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
As for Franklin-Simpson, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 15-10. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games.
On Franklin-Simpson's side, Kloie Smith was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Smith has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, Addison Shelton and Piper West did most of the damage at the plate: Shelton went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double, while West went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run. That's the most RBI West has posted since back in March. Kyleigh Scott was another key player, getting on base in two of her three plate appearances with two runs.
Coming up, Butler County will host Todd County Central at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The Bears' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Rebels have averaged an impressive 8 runs per game this season. As for Franklin-Simpson, they will head out to square off against East Robertson at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
