Softball Preview: Salem Seminoles vs. South Atlanta Hornets
The Salem Seminoles will challenge the South Atlanta Hornets at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing isn't great for Salem: they have been struggling with three straight losses at home, while South Atlanta has snatched up eight consecutive wins on the road dating back to last season.
Salem came up short against Dutchtown on Monday, falling 32-14.
Harmoni Hall made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Kennedi Caiafas, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances.
Even though they lost, Salem always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .690. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, South Atlanta made easy work of Columbia on Thursday and carried off a 13-5 victory. Considering the Hornets have won six contests by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Marlia Thomas made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. Thomas was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing eight bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, South Atlanta got a massive performance out of Makyla Longino, who scored two runs and stole five bases while going 1-for-2. Another player making a difference was Keiziya Fletcher, who scored two runs and stole six bases while getting on base in two of her three plate appearances.
Salem's defeat dropped their record down to 1-5. As for South Atlanta, their win bumped their record up to 6-1.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Salem has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of 0. However, it's not like South Atlanta struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Salem took their victory against South Atlanta when the teams last played back in August of 2019 by a conclusive 15-0. Will Salem repeat their success, or does South Atlanta have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
