Softball Preview: Shoals Jug Rox vs. Orleans Bulldogs
Shoals has enjoyed a four-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will face off against the Orleans Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Shoals will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs last Monday, then bounced right back against Cannelton on Friday. Shoals blew past Cannelton 17-1. Considering Shoals' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Kensie Perry made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single hit, only one earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Perry was even better at the plate, going 5-for-5 with a home run, six RBI, and two stolen bases.
In other batting news, Shoals got a massive performance out of Olivia Jordan, who scored four runs while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Addy Johnson, who went 2-for-3 with three runs and a triple.
Meanwhile, Orleans put the finishing touches on their sixth blowout victory of the season on Monday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Eastern a 7-0 shutout.
Like Shoals, Orleans also got a great game from a two-way player: Adrian Abel. Throwing, Abel didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Meanwhile, Izzie Rutherford struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in nine consecutive pitching appearances. At bat, Abel scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4, while Rutherford scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Chelsea Ralph, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a double. Another player making a difference was Maddy Spires, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Shoals' victory ended an eight-game drought at home and bumped them up to 2-13. As for Orleans, they have been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine contests, which provided a nice bump to their 13-7 record this season.
Shoals came up short against Orleans in their previous meeting back in May of 2022, falling 4-1. Can Shoals avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
