The Lakewood Gators will face off against the Hartsville Red Foxes at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Lakewood took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Lower Richland a 19-0 shutout. The high-scoring effort was just what the Gators needed considering they were shut out in their previous matchup.
Meanwhile, Hartsville entered their tilt with Darlington on Wednesday with three consecutive wins , and they'll enter their next game with four. They blew past the Falcons 9-1.
Allie Bailey spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jaysha McCullough, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last five games she's played. Another player making a difference was Terriney Thompson, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Hartsville hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most four strikeouts in five consecutive contests.
Hartsville's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-3. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.3 runs on average over those games. As for Lakewood, their victory was their first in the region, bumping their region record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 3-3.
Lakewood might still be hurting after the 20-0 loss they got from Hartsville in their previous matchup back in April of 2018. Will Lakewood have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
