Clarke County hasn't had much luck against Jackson recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Bulldogs will welcome the Aggies at 1:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Clarke County is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Chickasaw a 16-0 shutout on Tuesday. The Bulldogs haven't had any issues with the Chieftains recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Jayla Horn made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. Horn was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. That stolen base was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Asharai Pugh was a standout: she scored four runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season. Kenlya Waters was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, one triple, and one run.
Clarke County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .647. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Jackson entered their tilt with Escambia County on Tuesday with nine consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with ten. They were the clear victors by a 19-1 margin over the Blue Devils. Considering the Aggies have won 14 matches by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Gabby Howard was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing five bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. Those five stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Alycia Daffin, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Jackson pushed their record up to 17-3 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Clarke County, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-7.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Clarke County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .363. However, it's not like Jackson struggles in that department as they've averaged .459. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Clarke County might still be hurting after the 10-0 loss they got from Jackson in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will the Bulldogs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
