Softball Game Preview: East Robertson Indians vs. Portland Panthers

The East Robertson Indians will head out to challenge the Portland Panthers at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

East Robertson will bounce into Tuesday's contest after beating Franklin-Simpson, who they had gone 0-5 against in their five prior meetings. The Indians put the hurt on the Wildcats with a sharp 13-6 win on Monday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Indians.

Harlee Ghee was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off nine hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.

In other batting news, East Robertson let Kelsey Gregory and Isabella Smith run wild. Gregory scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances, while Smith scored three runs while going 3-for-4. That's the most runs Smith has posted since back in March of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Anna Highsmith, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Portland). Everything went their way against Gallatin on Monday as they made off with a 17-4 victory. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Panthers with their most commanding win of the season.

The win got East Robertson back to even at 7-7. As for Portland, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 5-9.

East Robertson came up short against Portland when the teams last played back in March of 2024, falling 9-5. Can the Indians avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.