The Stanton County Trojans will face off against the Hugoton Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Stanton County has four straight victories, Hugoton has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Friday, Stanton County got the win against Elkhart by a conclusive 13-3. The result was nothing new for the Trojans, who have now won eight games by six runs or more so far this season.
Kaydence McCleary made a splash while hitting and pitching. She tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Valeria Ortega
| 04/24/26 vs Elkhart | 3 |
| 04/21/26 vs Holcomb | 2 |
| 04/21/26 vs Holcomb | 1 |
| 03/30/26 @ Lakin | 1 |
| 03/26/26 vs Ness City | 1 |
In other batting news, Valeria Ortega was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with three doubles, four RBI, and one run. Those three doubles gave her a new career-high. Summer Kendrick was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one triple.
Stanton County kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in five consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Tuesday just wasn't the day for Hugoton's offense. They came up short against Colby on Tuesday, falling 14-0.
Hugoton saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kinley Howie, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one double. Brinlee Austin also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Stanton County's win bumped their record up to 9-5. As for Hugoton, their loss dropped their record down to 2-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Stanton County has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Hugoton struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Stanton County's way against Hugoton in their previous meeting back in April of 2025, as Stanton County made off with an 18-2 victory. Will the Trojans repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
