Hesston hasn't had much luck against Haven recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Swathers will head out to challenge the Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Thursday, Hesston made easy work of Hillsboro and carried off a 7-1 win. The victory continues a trend for the Swathers in their matchups with the Trojans: they've now won seven in a row.
Brenlyn Richmond spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Maci Kramer was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs. Another player making a difference was Wendy Roth, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Hesston hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are 10-1 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Fans were treated to a battle of the Wildcats on Thursday. Haven's pitchers stepped up to hand Moundridge a 15-0 shutout. The win was nothing new for Haven as they're now sitting on seven straight.
Avery Brawner and Emilyn Reese made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Brawner tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Reese pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. At bat, Brawner got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs and one RBI, while Reese went a perfect 1-for-1 with three RBI and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Morgan O'Neal, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI, one run, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Sophia Faidley, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Haven pushed their record up to 22-4 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.3 runs on average over those games. As for Hesston, their record now sits at 15-10.
Hesston's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's match. The Swathers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Haven, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Hesston continue to outrun the ball?
Hesston suffered a grim 17-1 defeat to Haven in their previous matchup last Friday. Can the Swathers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
