Pineville is 0-3 against South Laurel since March of 2023 but things could change on Friday. The Mountain Lions will face off against the Cardinals at 6:00 p.m.
Thursday just wasn't the day for Pineville's offense. They fell just short of Clay County by a score of 1-0 on Thursday.
Rachel Howard
| 04/24/25 vs Clay County | 15 |
| 04/23/25 vs Model | 13 |
| 04/22/25 @ Knox Central | 11 |
| 04/19/25 @ Hazard | 9 |
| 04/16/25 vs Barbourville | 16 |
| + 5 more games |
Rachel Howard spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up 15 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
Meanwhile, South Laurel came tearing into Thursday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.5 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on the Titans with a sharp 15-4 victory. The Cardinals might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 contests by six runs or more this season.
South Laurel also let their pitcher toss all six innings played and she was also dialed-in: Kenzie Williams gave up just two earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits.
At the plate, South Laurel got a massive performance out of R Bretz, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three doubles, and four RBI. Those three runs gave Bretz a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Skye Lawson, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two doubles.
South Laurel always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .528. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mercer County only posted an OBP of .296.
South Laurel pushed their record up to 15-4 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Pineville, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-6-1.
Pineville couldn't quite get it done against South Laurel in their previous matchup back in March of 2024 as they fell 5-0. Can the Mountain Lions avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
