The Nordonia Knights will head out to challenge the Hudson Explorers at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Nordonia is coming into the match on a six-game losing streak.
Nordonia came up short against Wadsworth on Wednesday, falling 22-10. Even though they lost, the Knights' still made a splash at the plate and bumped their average scoring up to 6.4 runs per game (they're now ranked -1th in scoring overall).
Haydn Paul made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and fired off two home runs and three RBI while going 3-for-3. Those home runs were her first of the season. Laura Garey was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Hudson got the win against Orange on Thursday by a conclusive 8-1.
Claire Eland made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out 15 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits (and only one walk). Eland was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two doubles.
In other batting news, Shawna Baylor and Corinne Stearns did most of the damage at the plate: Baylor got on base in three of her five plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and two RBI, while Stearns went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and one triple. Another player making a difference was Gianna Pirtle, who went 2-for-5 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Hudson hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Orange struck out 15 times.
Nordonia's loss dropped their record down to 3-8. As for Hudson, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-10.
Hudson's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Nordonia has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.1 hits per game. It's a different story for Hudson, though, as they've been averaging 11.3 hits. Given Nordonia's sizable advantage in that area, the Explorers will need to find a way to close that gap.
Nordonia beat Hudson 14-11 when the teams last played on April 4th. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
