Heyworth has won four straight games at home, while Stark County has won four straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Tuesday. The Hornets will host the Rebels at 4:30 p.m. Heyworth is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
Heyworth will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Wednesday, then bounced right back against El Paso-Gridley on Monday. The Hornets blew past the Titans 10-2. Considering the Hornets have won nine games by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Natalie Kopp spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on six hits.
At the plate, Heyworth got a big performance out of Emerson Becker, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two RBI and one run. Another player making a difference was Grace Streenz, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Stark County was able to grind out a solid victory over Galva on Friday, taking the game 5-2.
Stark County also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Scarlett Steelman gave up only one earned (and one unearned) run on eight hits. Steelman has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Hallie Newton, who got on base in two of her three plate appearances with three stolen bases and two runs. Those three stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Cambri Holmstrom was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
Heyworth's win bumped their record up to 16-10. As for Stark County, their victory bumped their record up to 16-8.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Heyworth hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .359. However, it's not like Stark County struggles in that department as they've averaged .380. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
