Softball Game Preview: Atlanta Hornets vs. Novinger Wildcats

Atlanta has gone 8-2 against Novinger recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Hornets will head out on the road to face off against the Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. Atlanta is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.

On Tuesday, Atlanta needed a bit of extra time to put away Higbee. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Tigers, sneaking past 8-7.

Whitney Baker was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, one triple, and one run. Aiyana Payton was another key player, going 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double.

Meanwhile, Novinger fell victim to Princeton and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They came up short against the Tigers, falling 17-0. The Wildcats have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Atlanta's win bumped their record up to 3-7. As for Novinger, they now have a losing record of 3-4.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Atlanta has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Novinger struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.

Everything went Atlanta's way against Novinger in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as Atlanta made off with a 16-5 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hornets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.