Hancock hasn't had much luck against Richards recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Eagles will take on the Bulldogs at 11:00 a.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, Hancock beat Kennedy 7-3. The win continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Crusaders: they've now won five in a row.
Alyssa Diaz made a big impact no matter where she played. She pitched five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Diaz was even better at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two triples, two stolen bases, and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Alex Pinal, who went 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, one run, and one double. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Chloe Dougherty, who got on base in two of her three plate appearances with two stolen bases.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Richards and Hillcrest meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Thursday. The Bulldogs' pitchers stepped up to hand the Hawks a 14-0 shutout. Considering the Bulldogs have won ten matches by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Richards is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 13 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-9 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.3 runs over those games. As for Hancock, they pushed their record up to 3-11 with the win, which was their third straight at home.
Hancock might still be hurting after the 12-2 loss they got from Richards when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
