Softball Recap: Struthers Comes Up Short

Struthers extended their losing streak to five on Wednesday, dropping them down to 1-8. They came up short against the Hubbard Eagles, falling 10-0. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Eagles this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 13-1 on Saturday.

Struthers saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Vivian Marker, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base. Addison Liptak also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.

As for Hubbard, the win (which was their sixth in a row) raised their record to 8-1. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games.

On Hubbard's side, Haleigh Taylor was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 13 over seven innings pitched. Those 13 strikeouts gave Taylor a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, one run, and one double.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Layla Songer, who went 4-for-5 with one home run, four runs, and two stolen bases. She is on a roll when it comes to home runs, as she's now launched at least one in each of the last three games she's played. Cara Green was another key player, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles and one run.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Struthers will host Lakeside at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The Dragons have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 12.17 runs per game on average), something the Wildcats will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Hubbard, they will be playing at home against Lakeview at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Eagles' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Bulldogs have averaged an impressive 10.5 runs per game this season.