Softball Game Preview: Swain County Maroon Devils vs. Murphy Bulldogs

Swain County hasn't had much luck against Murphy recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Swain County Maroon Devils will square off against the Murphy Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. Swain County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.

Swain County will bounce into Tuesday's contest after beating Hiwassee Dam, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. Swain County came out on top against Hiwassee Dam by a score of 6-2 on Friday.

Rylee Rawls

Batters Struck Out

03/14/25 @ Hiwassee Dam	5
03/11/25 vs Hiwassee Dam	10
03/07/25 @ Tuscola	6
03/05/25 @ Rosman	13
03/04/25 @ Asheville	11
+ 3 more games

Rylee Rawls spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on six hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.

At the plate, Hadley Shuler was excellent, going 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. That home run was her first of the season. Kennedy Anthony was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.

Meanwhile, it was close, but on Tuesday Murphy sidestepped Tellico Plains for a 2-1 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bulldogs.

Murphy now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Swain County, their victory bumped their record up to 5-3.

Swain County came out on top in a nail-biter against Murphy when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 5-4. Will Swain County repeat their success, or does Murphy have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.