The Cooper Jaguars are taking a road trip to take on the Ballard Bruins at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Cooper and Campbell County, and Campbell County kept the tradition alive. The Jaguars fell just short of the Camels by a score of 9-8 on Thursday. That's two games in a row now that the Jaguars have lost by just one run.
Kinley (KJ) Johnson and Kat Furnish did some serious damage despite the final result: Johnson went 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double, while Furnish went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Ballard entered their tilt with Nelson County on Thursday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They were the clear victors by an 8-1 margin over the Cardinals. Considering the Bruins have won 14 contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Jaedyn Lyons and Emery Schuster made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Lyons tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. Meanwhile, Schuster tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Lyons has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances. At the plate, Lyons went 1-for-2 with two RBI, while Schuster went 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Kennedy Gatewood was excellent, earning two runs and four stolen bases. Those four stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Chloe Perry also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Ballard's win was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 20-11. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Cooper, they have been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 9-24 record this season.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Cooper hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .337. However, it's not like Ballard struggles in that department as they've averaged .375. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
