The Russell Red Devils will take on the Belfry Pirates at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Russell is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Russell took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over Paintsville. The high-scoring effort was just what the Red Devils needed considering they were shut out in their previous match.
Karson Honaker made a splash while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. Honaker was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of her three plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gabby Oborne, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. Allison Highfield was another key player, getting on base in two of her four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Belfry beat Knott County Central 9-4 on Thursday. The Pirates haven't had any issues with the Patriots recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Belfry's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-8. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Russell, their win bumped their record up to 9-15.
Everything went Russell's way against Belfry in their previous meeting back in March of 2017, as Russell made off with a 13-0 victory. Will the Red Devils repeat their success, or do the Pirates have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
