Harding had lost five straight on the road, but on Saturday they dropped down to 2-13 to make it six. They came up short against the McKinley Bulldogs, falling 18-7. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Bulldogs this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 22-8 on Saturday.
Jhanna McCoy made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Pairiz Bey Coleman also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
As for McKinley, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-10 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.8 runs over those games.
On McKinley's side, Hailey Smith made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up four earned (and three unearned) runs off eight hits (and not a single walk). Smith has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one walk in 16 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kylee Delgado, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Elijahne Smith was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Looking ahead, Harding will be playing at home against Boardman at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The Spartans' pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so the Raiders' hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for McKinley, they are taking a road trip to take on Jackson at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Bulldogs' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Polar Bears have averaged an impressive 9.7 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
