The Liberty-Benton Eagles will take on the Columbus Grove Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The timing is sure in Liberty-Benton's favor as the squad sits on seven straight wins at home while Columbus Grove has been banged up by five consecutive losses on the road.
Liberty-Benton barely beat Van Buren the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Eagles didn't even let the Black Knights on the board on Wednesday, marking the Eagles' second-straight 10-0 shutout. Considering the Eagles have won ten contests by more than eight runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
The team relied heavily on Hayden Gillig, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles. Kylie Modd was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Liberty-Benton kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in seven consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Columbus Grove had to endure a nine-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Kalida a 10-0 shutout on Tuesday. The Bulldogs' offense finally found a way to get into gear: the high-octane performance was a 180-degree turn from their last four games.
Dakota Dunn was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. What's more, she posted five strikeouts, the most she's had since back in April. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Zoey Patchet was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Erianne Heffner, who went 1-for-2 with three runs and one RBI.
Liberty-Benton's win bumped their record up to 14-4. As for Columbus Grove, their victory bumped their record up to 3-9.
Columbus Grove's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Liberty-Benton hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .376. It's a different story for Columbus Grove, though, as they've only averaged .238. Will they be able to contain Liberty-Benton's hitters? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
