Taylor County has not done well against Lafayette recently (they were 0-7 in their previous seven matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Taylor County Bulldogs had just enough and edged the Lafayette Hornets out 3-2. This was payback for Taylor County, who suffered a 6-5 loss the last time these two teams met.
Hannah Shiver was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Shiver has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in five consecutive pitching appearances. Shiver was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Emma Kirkland, who went 1-for-3 with a home run. Kiersten Carter was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Like Taylor County, Lafayette also got a great game from a two-way player: Clara Knight. She pitched seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Knight was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and a double.
Knight wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Ella McAdams, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Taylor County's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-3. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs per game. As for Lafayette, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 7-10.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Taylor County will square off against Gadsden County at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Gadsden County's hitters has struggled lately (they haven't scored a run in four consecutive games), something the team is no doubt ready to change. As for Lafayette, they will head out on the road to challenge Bell at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Bell is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 8 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
