The Shelby Valley Wildcats will take on the Hazard Bulldogs / Lady Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Shelby Valley has given up an average of 8.6 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Shelby Valley easily dispatched East Ridge on Monday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Wildcats fell just short of Tug Valley by a score of 11-9 on Thursday. The Wildcats haven't had much luck with the Panthers recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.
Meanwhile, Hazard got themselves on the board against Pike County Central on Thursday, but Pike County Central never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Hawks with a sharp 11-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Bulldogs / Lady Bulldogs, who have now won eight games by six runs or more so far this season.
Peyton Fields made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out eight over five innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Halle Jones was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Kadence Stollings was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Hazard kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 9-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Hazard pushed their record up to 12-7 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Shelby Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-13.
Shelby Valley suffered a grim 16-2 defeat to Hazard in their previous meeting back in April of 2015. Can the Wildcats avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
