Jefferson County hasn't had much luck against Malone recently, but that could start to change on Monday. Jefferson County is taking a road trip to take on Malone at 4:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Jefferson County is headed into Monday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their eighth straight game on Thursday. They came up short against Gadsden County, falling 21-15. On the bright side, the 15- run effort marked the Tigers' highest-scoring contest to date.
Liria Vargas made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and fired off two home runs, four runs, and four RBI while going 3-for-4. She continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Evelyn Vargas also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
Meanwhile, Malone hadn't done well against Bay recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Tigers were the clear victors by a 21-4 margin over the Tornadoes. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four games by 14 runs or more this season.
Arielle Dickens made a splash while hitting and pitching. She pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. Dickens was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Malone got a massive performance out of Jordin Josey, who scored three runs and stole six bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Josey has been hot recently, having posted three or more stolen bases the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was A Wesley, who scored four runs and stole seven bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Malone always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .818. The last time their OBP was this high was back in February of 2024.
The victory (which was Malone's third in a row) raised their record to 4-7. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Jefferson County, their loss dropped their record down to 1-9.
Monday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Jefferson County has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .503. However, it's not like Malone struggles in that department as they've averaged .619. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Jefferson County suffered a grim 29-7 defeat to Malone in their previous matchup on Friday. Can Jefferson County avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
