vs
| 04/05/24 - Home | 10-5 W |
| 04/21/23 - Away | 15-2 W |
| 03/30/23 - Away | 7-5 W |
Lamar has gone a perfect 3-0 against Butler recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Tigers will challenge the Bears at 4:30 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Lamar is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 18 runs on Tuesday, they were much more limited against Mt. Vernon on Wednesday. They lost 7-0 to the Mountaineers. The Tigers have struggled against the Mountaineers recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost meeting.
Meanwhile, Butler fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against El Dorado Springs on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Bulldogs by a score of 7-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Bears have suffered since March 24th.
Kylee Dubray put in work no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over eight innings while giving up three earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. That home run marked the first that she launched this season.
In other batting news, Taylor Hudson was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-4 with one home run, two RBI, and one double. That home run was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Kadyn Cook, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
The defeat was their first on the road , dropping their record down to 6-4. As for Butler, their loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 5-5.
Butler's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Lamar has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .457. It's a different story for Butler, though, as they've only averaged .347. Will they be able to contain Lamar's hitters?
Lamar was able to grind out a solid win over Butler in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, winning 10-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
