Softball Game Preview: Pender Patriots vs. South Columbus Stallions

Patriots

Runs

03/20/25 vs Fairmont	4
03/18/25 vs South Columbus	2
03/14/25 @ East Columbus	0
03/12/25 vs East Columbus	5
03/06/25 vs Wallace-Rose Hill	17
+ 3 more games

The Pender Patriots will venture away from home to square off against the South Columbus Stallions at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Pender is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.4 runs per game this season.

While Pender's victory against Fairmont wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. Pender narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Fairmont 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Patriots have posted since April 15, 2024.

Alyna Rooks was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. That stolen base was her first of the season.

In other batting news, Charleigh Rivenbark was a standout: she went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Katie Iddings, who went 3-for-4 with one triple and one run.

Meanwhile, South Columbus was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 4-2 heartbreaker at the hands of West Bladen. The match marked the Stallions' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

The win made it two in a row for Pender and bumps their season record up to 6-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for South Columbus, they now have a losing record of 2-3.

Pender was able to grind out a solid victory over South Columbus in their previous matchup on Tuesday, winning 9-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for Pender since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.