The Cottondale Hornets will square off against the Marianna Bulldogs at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Cottondale will be strutting in after a win while Marianna will be coming in after a defeat.
Cottondale is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 15-3 margin over Vernon on Tuesday. The Hornets have beaten the Yellowjackets the last six times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Yellowjackets has come to flipping the script.
Annelise Skipper
| 03/25/25 @ Vernon | 2 |
| 03/13/25 vs Ponce De Leon | 2 |
| 03/11/25 vs Paxton | 1 |
| 03/04/25 @ Providence Christian | 1 |
| 03/03/25 vs Vernon | 2 |
| + 3 more games |
Annelise Skipper spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on two hits and racked up 18 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two hits in eight consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Chrishaunna Dawson and Paige Carter did most of the damage at the plate: Dawson scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-5, while Carter scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-5. What's more, Dawson posted two doubles, the most she's had since back in February of 2024. Another player making a difference was Kendall Benefield, who scored a run while going 2-for-5.
Cottondale was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .415. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Marianna was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their 12th straight loss dating back to last season. They lost 17-2 to Holmes County.
Marianna saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Amarii Spires, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-2. Murphy Mitchell was another, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Marianna's defeat dropped their record down to 0-11. As for Cottondale, their victory bumped their record up to 6-3.
Marianna's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Cottondale has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 11.9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Marianna, though, as they've been averaging only 2 strikeouts. Will Cottondale keep running through batters, or will Marianna buck the trend?
Cottondale might still be hurting after the 10-1 loss they got from Marianna when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will Cottondale have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
