Softball Game Preview: Myrtle Hawks vs. North Pontotoc Vikings

The Myrtle Hawks will venture away from home to square off against the North Pontotoc Vikings at 9:00 p.m. on Friday.

Myrtle is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering East Union just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Thursday. They lost 12-5 to the Urchins. The matchup marked the Hawks' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Shelby Thompson was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring a run and stealing Two bases. while going 1-for-1. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Ally Murphy, who scored a run and stole Two bases. while going 1-for-3.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask North Pontotoc). They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 16-14 win over Mooreville on Thursday.

North Pontotoc got a massive performance out of Charlize Williams, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Lacie Simmons, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI.

North Pontotoc's victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 3-5. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Myrtle, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 4-1.

Myrtle beat North Pontotoc 6-1 in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Myrtle since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.