The Conway Springs Cardinals will head out on the road to take on the Kingman/Norwich Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Last Monday, Conway Springs got the win against Douglass by a conclusive 12-1. The contest marked the Cardinals' most dominant victory of the season so far.
Macie Hartman spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on seven hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Reece Johnson was a standout: she scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-3. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Lindsey Coleman, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Johnson wasn't the only one making solid contact: Conway Springs kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Douglass only managed six hits.
Meanwhile, Kingman/Norwich came tearing into Thursday's game with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Dragons 19-2. The Eagles' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Haidyn Hartley made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits. Hartley was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Ryan Schreiner and Parker Beam did most of the damage at the plate: Schreiner scored three runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances, while Beam scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Beam also put up a double, which was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Addyson Belt, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in two of her three plate appearances.
The win made it two in a row for Conway Springs and bumps their season record up to 3-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Kingman/Norwich, their record is now 6-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Conway Springs has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Kingman/Norwich struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Conway Springs couldn't quite get it done against Kingman/Norwich when the teams last played two weeks ago as they fell 7-3. Can the Cardinals avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
