Good Hope hasn't had much luck against Cordova recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Raiders will square off against the Blue Devils at 2:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Good Hope sitting on three straight victories and Cordova on six.
On Friday, Good Hope beat Fairview 6-1.
Molly Benefield was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out nine batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in March. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lizzy Steed, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Natalie Miller was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Good Hope was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .312 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Cordova had just enough and edged out Carbon Hill 6-4 on Saturday.
Camden Johnson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on eight hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Ella Grace Madison was incredible, going 1-for-2 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Mia Vance, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Good Hope pushed their record up to 20-11-1 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Cordova, their record is now 25-13.
Monday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Good Hope hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .346. However, it's not like Cordova struggles in that department as they've averaged .395. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Good Hope's way against Cordova in their previous meeting back in March, as Good Hope made off with a 9-2 win. Do the Raiders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Blue Devils turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
