Texas is on an eight-game streak of home wins, while Hallsville is on a five-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. A feisty cat fight will be fought as Texas Tigers face off against Hallsville Bobcats at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Texas made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Whitehouse, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Tigers blew past the Wildcats 12-6 on Monday. Texas' victory was all the more impressive since the Wildcats were averaging only 3.74 runs allowed on the season.
Eva Treadway spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and one unearned) runs on 11 hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Preslie Clopp, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Taylor Tullos, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Hallsville never let their opponents score on Friday. They put the hurt on Nacogdoches with a sharp 15-0 win. The Bobcats haven't had any issues with the Dragons recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
Lindsey Dubberly was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple and one RBI.
In other batting news, Hope Miles was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-2. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in February. Sadie Gonzalez was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run and two RBI.
Hallsville was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .625. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Nacogdoches only posted a batting average of .182.
Texas is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-6-1 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Hallsville, their victory bumped their record up to 21-3-1.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Texas hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .366. However, it's not like Hallsville struggles in that department as they've averaged .398. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Texas might still be hurting after the 6-0 defeat they got from Hallsville when the teams last played back in March. Will the Tigers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
