Softball Preview: Johnston City Indians vs. Anna-Jonesboro Wildcats
Johnston City has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will face off against the Anna-Jonesboro Wildcats at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Johnston City will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs two weeks ago, then bounced right back against Crab Orchard last Saturday. Johnston City blew past Crab Orchard 13-7.
Aubree Williford made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched four innings while giving up four earned runs off three hits. Williford has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances. Williford was even better at the plate, going 3-for-3 with five RBI and a double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Peyton Smith, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times she's played. Zoee Cullum was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Anna-Jonesboro extended their postseason success on Saturday against Frankfort. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Redbirds a 6-0 shutout. Winning may never get old, but Anna-Jonesboro sure is getting used to it with their seventh in a row.
Not much got past Ruby Yates, who gave up just three hits and racked up seven Ks to keep Frankfort off the board.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Kansas Craig, who went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and a stolen base. Another player making a difference was Ariana Turner, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
Johnston City's win bumped their record up to 25-8. As for Anna-Jonesboro, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 17 of their last 18 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 27-5 record this season.
Johnston City's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's matchup. Johnston City has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Anna-Jonesboro, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Johnston City continue to outrun the ball?
Johnston City took their victory against Anna-Jonesboro in their previous meeting back in March by a conclusive 12-2. Will Johnston City repeat their success, or does Anna-Jonesboro have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
