Softball Game Preview: Clay-Chalkville Cougars vs. Shades Valley Mounties

The Clay-Chalkville Cougars will challenge the Shades Valley Mounties at 5:00 p.m. on Monday.

Clay-Chalkville is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 18 runs back in March, they were much more limited against St. Clair County on Tuesday. They came up short against the Fighting Saints, falling 8-1. The Cougars haven't had much luck with the Fighting Saints recently, as the team has come up short the last eight times they've met.

Meanwhile, Shades Valley entered their tilt with Fultondale on Thursday with eight consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with nine. They put the hurt on the Wildcats with a sharp 15-1 win. That's two games straight that the Mounties have won by exactly 14 runs.

Jenna Paxton made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. What's more, she posted two RBI, the most she's had since back in February.

In other batting news, Shades Valley let Gigi Escobar and Ja'Miah Eaton run wild. Escobar scored two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances, while Eaton scored two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Carleigh Blackwell, who scored a run while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.

Shades Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .833. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Shades Valley's victory bumped their record up to 11-1. As for Clay-Chalkville, their loss dropped their record down to 10-4-1.