Softball Preview: Newnan Cougars vs. Alexander Cougars
The Newnan Cougars are taking a road trip to take on the Alexander Cougars at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Newnan is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8 runs per game this season.
Newnan's hitters might be in the hot seat on Thursday considering what happened against Northgate on Wednesday. They came up short against the Vikings, falling 8-0. The Cougars have struggled against the Vikings recently, as their game on Wednesday was their third consecutive lost matchup.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last matchup, Alexander made sure to put some runs up on the board against Kennesaw Mountain on Wednesday. Alexander was the clear victor by a 12-2 margin over Kennesaw Mountain. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won seven matches by eight runs or more so far this season.
Kaylee Underwood spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on seven hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than six innings in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Kennedy Cantrell and Kenzie Townsend did most of the damage at the plate: Cantrell scored three runs while going 3-for-4, while Townsend went 3-for-5 with four RBI and two doubles. The dominant performance also gave Cantrell a new career-high in batting average. Lulu Berry was another key player, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with a triple and two RBI.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Alexander always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .615. That's a new trend for them: their average OBP was 36.1% earlier this season, but in their last ten contests they've averaged 49.5%.
Newnan now has a losing record at 12-13. As for Alexander, their record is now 14-9.
Thursday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. Newnan hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of 0. However, it's not like Alexander struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Newnan came up short against Alexander when the teams last played back in September, falling 9-5. Can Newnan avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
