Softball Game Preview: J.I. Burton Black Raiders vs. Twin Springs Titans

The J.I. Burton Black Raiders will face off against the Twin Springs Titans at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. J.I. Burton's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Twin Springs' hitters will have their work cut out for them.

J.I. Burton is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 14-0 margin over Hurley. The Black Raiders' offense finally found a way to get into gear: the high-octane performance was a 180-degree turn from their last three games.

Chilhowie typically has all the answers at home, but on Thursday Twin Springs proved too difficult a challenge. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Warriors, sneaking past 4-2. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Titans.

Makenzie Gillenwater made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two triples, one run, and one RBI. Those two triples gave her a new career-high.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Emma Ross, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. She has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last six times she's played. Aubrey Meade was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

Twin Springs' victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-7. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for J.I. Burton, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-7 record this season.

J.I. Burton came out on top in a nail-biter against Twin Springs in their previous matchup last Friday, sneaking past 2-0. Will the Black Raiders repeat their success, or do the Titans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.