Excel was sadly handed a defeat on Friday, but Avery Duke did her best to prevent it. Straughn had no answer to Duke as she pitched nine innings while giving up just two earned (and six unearned) runs off nine hits. Duke has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
Even though Duke couldn't lead Excel over Straughn, she won't have to wait long to try again: the teams have a rematch scheduled at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The Panthers will be headed into this one with a sizable disadvantage in the rankings (they're ranked 154 places lower in Alabama), but they're not letting that get them down. Will they be able to pull off an upset behind Duke? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
