The Pineville Rebels will take on the Alexandria Trojans at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Pineville 2.7, Alexandria 4.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Last Tuesday, Pineville beat Ruston 8-3. The Rebels haven't had any issues with the Bearcats recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Pineville got a big performance out of Madalyn Halle, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Cassidy Sicuro, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Pineville hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ruston struck out eight times.
Meanwhile, Alexandria had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Tuesday. They blew past the Lions 12-2. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 15 matches by six runs or more this season.
Alexandria also got a great performance from Lauren Bonnette as she pitched five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. Bonnette has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Alexandria let Amiyah Wilson and Mary Claire Brinkman run wild. Wilson got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, five RBI, and two runs, while Brinkman got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most RBI Brinkman has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Sarah Grace Buckels, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Alexandria pushed their record up to 21-4 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.7 runs over those games. As for Pineville, their record now sits at 24-3.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Pineville has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .493. However, it's not like Alexandria struggles in that department as they've averaged .447. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pineville couldn't quite finish off Alexandria when the teams last played back in March and fell 8-6. Can the Rebels avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
