Softball Game Preview: Silverdale Academy Seahawks vs. Gibbs Eagles

The Silverdale Academy Seahawks will head out on the road to take on the Gibbs Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The last four games Silverdale Academy has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

Silverdale Academy is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Tennessee's top teams: Baylor, who was ranked 19th at the time (Silverdale Academy was ranked fifth). The Seahawks skirted past the Red Raiders 3-2. The victory continues a trend for the Seahawks in their matchups with the Red Raiders: they've now won four in a row.

Airebis Cox spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on five hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Gabriella Hensley was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. Heidi Bryant was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one triple.

Meanwhile, Gibbs waltzed into their match on Tuesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Dragons a 5-0 shutout. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

The team relied heavily on Brianna Baker, who scored a run while going 3-for-4. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two). Another player making a difference was Malyiah Smith, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4.

Silverdale Academy pushed their record up to 17-4-1 with the win, which was their 23rd straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.9 runs over those games. As for Gibbs, their win bumped their record up to 18-2.

Silverdale Academy came out on top in a nail-biter against Gibbs in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 2-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Seahawks since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.