The Orleans Bulldogs will challenge the Crawford County Wolfpack at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Orleans had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the eight-run drubbing they dealt Mitchell on Wednesday. The Bulldogs blew past the Bluejackets 11-3. Considering the Bulldogs have won eight games by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Ava Cooper
| 05/07/25 @ Mitchell | 4 |
| 05/05/25 @ Bedford North Lawrence | 0 |
| 04/18/25 vs North Harrison | 2 |
| 04/14/25 @ Loogootee | 2 |
| 04/08/25 vs Eastern | 10 |
Ava Cooper was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. What's more, she posted four strikeouts, the most she's had since back in April. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run and four RBI.
In other batting news, Izzie Rutherford was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April. Cordelia Robbins was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Crawford County hadn't done well against Paoli recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Wolfpack were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over the Rams. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since April 30, 2019, but that streak is no more.
Like Orleans, Crawford County also got a great game from a two-way player: Maddyson Sturgeon. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched. Sturgeon has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Crawford County got a massive performance out of Karmann Smith, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Another player making a difference was Sylvia Ferriell, who went 1-for-2 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Crawford County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. They are 2-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Crawford County's win was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 3-9. As for Orleans, their victory bumped their record up to 13-3.
Crawford County's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Orleans has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Crawford County, though, as they've been averaging only 3.7 strikeouts. Will Orleans keep running through batters, or will the Wolfpack buck the trend?
Everything went Orleans' way against Crawford County in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Orleans made off with a 10-0 win. Will the Bulldogs repeat their success, or do the Wolfpack have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
