Softball Preview: McBee Panthers vs. High Point Academy Grizzlies
McBee has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will challenge the High Point Academy Grizzlies at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. McBee is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.8 runs per game this season.
McBee can now show off five landslide victories after their most recent game on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Ware Shoals with a sharp 14-4 victory.
Trinity Brigman made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off seven hits. Brigman has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in seven consecutive pitching appearances. Brigman was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, McBee got a massive performance out of Lily Beasely, who scored three runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-3. Sydney Matthews was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, it can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but High Point Academy had no problem doing just that on Tuesday. They came out on top against the Saints by a score of 4-0.
Not much got past Julie Raines, who gave up just four hits and racked up 11 Ks to keep Calhoun County off the board. Those 11 strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Alyx Creel, who scored three runs and stole four bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Ella Zhuk, who went 1-for-3 with a stolen base, a double, and an RBI.
McBee now has a winning record of 7-6. As for High Point Academy, they pushed their record up to 11-8 with that win, which was their third straight at home.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. McBee has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like High Point Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.4. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went McBee's way against High Point Academy in their previous meeting back in May of 2023 as McBee made off with a 15-2 victory. Does McBee have another victory up their sleeve, or will High Point Academy turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
