The Triad Knights are taking a road trip to square off against the Highland Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Triad is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.
On Friday, Triad got the win against Alton by a conclusive 13-1. The win continues a trend for the Knights in their matchups with the Redbirds: they've now won three in a row.
The team relied heavily on Syd Horn, who went 3-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and one double. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April.
Triad was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .600. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Highland was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their 17th straight defeat. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 4-3 heartbreaker at the hands of Jersey. Bulldogs fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Panthers since on Thursday.
Kaitlyn Wilson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Highland saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Lucy Becker, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Triad's victory bumped their record up to 19-10. As for Highland, their loss dropped their record down to 4-22.
Highland's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Triad has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Highland, though, as they've been averaging 9.7 hits. Given Triad's sizable advantage in that area, the Bulldogs will need to find a way to close that gap.
Triad skirted past Highland 6-5 in their previous matchup on May 6th. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
