The Cottondale Hornets will challenge the Poplar Springs Atomics at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Cottondale is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 17-4 margin over Marianna last Monday. The win was familiar territory for the Hornets, who have now won five matches in a row.
Annelise Skipper
| 04/21/25 @ Marianna | 6 |
| 04/15/25 @ Paxton | 5 |
| 04/14/25 vs Wewahitchka | 12 |
| 04/10/25 vs Walton | 14 |
| 04/08/25 @ Port St. Joe | 14 |
| + 7 more games |
Annelise Skipper and Chrishaunna Dawson made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Skipper struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off one hit. Meanwhile, Dawson pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Skipper has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 12 consecutive appearances. At bat, Skipper got on base in all five of her plate appearances with four runs and two RBI, while Dawson got on base in four of her five plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. What's more, Skipper posted three hits, the most she's had since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Maycee Griffin was incredible, going 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Paige Carter, who went 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
Cottondale always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Marianna only posted an OBP of .320.
Meanwhile, two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Poplar Springs walked away with it. They blew past the Tigers 33-22 on Monday. Surprisingly, this marked the Atomics' third straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Poplar Springs got a massive performance out of Natalee Smith, who got on base in six of her eight plate appearances with four stolen bases, four runs, and three RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Emma Huckabey, who got on base in four of her seven plate appearances with five stolen bases, five runs, and three RBI.
Poplar Springs has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 4-14 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 22.3 runs over those games. As for Cottondale, their win bumped their record up to 15-4.
Everything went Cottondale's way against Poplar Springs in their previous matchup back in April of 2023, as Cottondale made off with a 15-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hornets since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
