Softball Game Preview: Athens Warriors vs. Mt. Zion Braves

The Athens Warriors will venture away from home to take on the Mt. Zion Braves at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

Athens fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Maroa-Forsyth on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Trojans by a score of 9-8. The Warriors haven't had much luck with the Trojans recently, as the team has come up short the last eight times they've met.

Kenzie Szoke 2026 stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: she went 4-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and three doubles. Preslie Buckmaster 2027 was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.

Meanwhile, Mt. Zion entered their tilt with Effingham on Tuesday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They put the hurt on the Hearts with a sharp 9-3 win. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Braves have posted against the Hearts since May 22, 2021.

Nikki Ellegood made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She tossed seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. What's more, she posted five strikeouts, the most she's had since back in May of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Savannah Beiler, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4. That's the most runs she has posted since back in May of 2024. Emma Weaver also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.

Mt. Zion's record is now 5-1. As for Athens, they now have a losing record of 3-4.

Athens suffered a grim 8-1 defeat to Mt. Zion in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Warriors avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.