Softball Game Preview: Hueytown Golden Gophers vs. Hillcrest Patriots

The Hueytown Golden Gophers will face off against the Hillcrest Patriots at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Hueytown's pitching crew has only allowed 3.7 runs per game this season, so Hillcrest's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Last Monday, Hueytown came up short against Gardendale and fell 9-5. The Golden Gophers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Madison Smith and Jenna Melton did some serious damage despite the final result: Smith went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI, while Melton went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. Those three RBI gave Smith a new career-high.

Meanwhile, Hillcrest posted their closest victory since February 21st on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Northside 5-3. The victory continues a trend for the Patriots in their matchups with the Rams: they've now won five in a row.

Hillcrest pushed their record up to 8-7-1 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Hueytown, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-9.

Hueytown might still be hurting after the 13-3 loss they got from Hillcrest when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will Hueytown have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.