Softball Game Preview: Southside Tigers vs. Westside Rams

For the second straight game, Southside will face off against Westside. The Tigers will welcome the Rams at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Southside has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with three straight defeats, while Westside will come in with four straight wins.

Southside fell victim to Westside and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They came up short against the Rams, falling 22-0.

For Westside's part, Madison Gray made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts Gray has posted since back in February. She was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-2. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season.

In other batting news, Ryann Sanders was a standout: she got on base in all four of her plate appearances with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Anslie Blair, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.

Westside kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in eight consecutive games.

Westside's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-5. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Southside, their loss dropped their record down to 2-10.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Southside has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Westside struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.