Softball Game Preview: Long Rebels vs. Wicksburg Panthers

The Long Rebels will be taking part in a tournament against the Wicksburg Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Long's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They put the hurt on Abbeville with a sharp 15-0 victory. The win was familiar territory for the Rebels, who have now won 15 games in a row.

Kaylie Joseph

Doubles (Career)

04/04/25 vs Abbeville	2
04/03/25 vs Ariton	1
03/25/25 vs Providence Christian	1
03/07/25 vs Providence Christian	1
02/28/25 vs Pike Road	1

Kaylie Joseph and Anna Claire Free were a major factor while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Joseph pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Free struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. At bat, Joseph scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-2, while Free went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. The dominant performance also gave Joseph a new career-high in doubles (two).

In other batting news, Kaylie Foster was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Ansley Watson was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-3.

Long hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in seven consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Wicksburg made easy work of Holmes County on Thursday and carried off an 8-1 victory. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Blue Devils recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.

Long pushed their record up to 22-2 with the victory, which was their 11th straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Wicksburg, their record now sits at 25-6.

Long suffered a grim 6-0 defeat to Wicksburg in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Rebels avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.