Harding extended their losing streak (dating back to last season) to 19 on Wednesday, dropping them down to 0-14. They came up short against the Independence Blue Devils, falling 19-3. That's two games in a row now that the Skippers have lost by exactly 16 runs.
As for Independence, their win was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-3. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.8 runs over those games.
For Independence's part, Lila Manfredonia made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Manfredonia has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple.
In other batting news, Brooke Vollman and Bella Iacianci did most of the damage at the plate: Vollman went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs, while Iacianci went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most hits Iacianci has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Melina Rodriguez, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Looking ahead, Harding will take on Kirtland in a tournament on Wednesday. The Hornets have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 12.5 runs per game on average), something the Skippers will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Independence, they will square off against Medina at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
