If Newport was feeling good off their 12-2 takedown of Hoxie last Tuesday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Newport Greyhounds suffered a rough 18-3 loss at the hands of the Melbourne Bearkatz on Thursday. Newport has struggled against Melbourne recently, as their game on Thursday was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
Newport saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Olivia Haigwood, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Katie Nation was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
On Melbourne's side, Kallie Thornton made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Thornton has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. Thornton was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Maggie Pierson was incredible, scoring two runs while going 3-for-6. Another player making a difference was Allie Cone, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Newport's defeat dropped their record down to 3-10. As for Melbourne, the win (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 16-3.
Newport will look to defend their home field on Tuesday against Salem at 4:00 p.m. Salem will roll in looking for their ninth straight victory, something Newport surely won't give up without a fight. As for Melbourne, they will be staying on the road on Saturday to face off against Southside at 1:00 p.m. Melbourne's pitching crew has only allowed 2.7 runs per game this season, so Southside's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
