Softball Game Preview: South Garner Titans vs. Clayton Comets

South Garner is 0-8 against Clayton since April of 2022 but things could change on Thursday. The Titans will head out on the road to challenge the Comets at 7:00 p.m. South Garner has given up an average of 14.8 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Tuesday just wasn't the day for South Garner's offense. They came up short against Cleveland on Tuesday, falling 18-0.

Meanwhile, while Clayton put up plenty of runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Garner. The Comets put the hurt on the Trojans with a sharp 15-0 victory. The Comets might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matchups by six runs or more this season.

Izzy Tart made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Laila Gibson, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with six RBI, three runs, and one triple. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Amelia Brown, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with five RBI and one stolen base.

Clayton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .636. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Garner only posted an OBP of .000.

Clayton has been performing well recently as they've won eight of their last ten games. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.8 runs over those games. As for South Garner, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-11.

South Garner suffered a grim 15-0 defeat to Clayton in their previous matchup back in April of 2025. Can the Titans avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.