Pope County extended their losing streak to three on Wednesday, dropping them down to 12-12. They lost 14-4 to the Hardin County Cougars. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Cougars this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 7-6 on Monday.
Bella Fasolo was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Jaydan Holmes was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
As for Hardin County, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 8-15. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs over those games.
On Hardin County's side, Whitlee Fricker spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on 13 hits and racked up six Ks. Fricker has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Gracy Smith, who went 3-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Macey Martin, who went 3-for-5 with four RBI, one triple, and one run.
Coming up, Pope County is taking a road trip to square off against Norris City-Omaha-Enfield at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Fighting Cardinals have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 7.48 runs per game on average), something the Pirates will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Hardin County, they will welcome Harrisburg at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Bulldogs' pitching crew has only allowed 3.1 runs per game this season, so the Cougars' hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
