Softball Game Preview: Canton Eagles vs. Athens Hornets

Canton is a perfect 10-0 against Athens since April of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Eagles will host the Hornets at 6:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.

As a matter of fact, Canton put up the most runs they have all season on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Kemp with a sharp 21-2 victory. Considering the Eagles have won 11 matchups by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.

Rylee Busby made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out eight over four innings pitched. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.

Chloe Howe

Runs Batted In (Career)

04/08/25 @ Kemp	5
03/14/25 vs Kemp	4
03/25/25 vs Lindale	3
04/02/24 @ Wills Point	3
03/21/25 vs Mabank	2

In other batting news, Chloe Howe was a standout: she went 4-for-5 with five RBI, three runs, and one triple. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. Peyton Goodson was another key player, scoring four runs and stealing a base while going 5-for-5.

Meanwhile, Athens suffered their closest loss since March 28, 2024 on Tuesday. They fell just short of Mabank by a score of 13-11.

Canton is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-6-2 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Athens, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-8.

Everything went Canton's way against Athens in their previous matchup back in March, as Canton made off with a 15-0 victory. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Hornets turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.