Softball Game Preview: Ridgeland Panthers vs. Gilmer Bobcats

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Previous Games

10/03/24 - Away	14-6 W
10/01/24 - Home	13-5 W
08/12/24 - Home	8-0 W
08/12/23 - Neutral	3-2 W
08/13/22 - Neutral	6-3 W
+ 5 more games

Ridgeland is 9-1 against Gilmer since October of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Panthers are taking a road trip to face off against the Bobcats at 6:00 p.m. Gilmer took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Ridgeland, who comes in off a win.

Last Saturday, Ridgeland needed a bit of extra time to put away Dade County. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 win over the Wolverines. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Panthers have posted against the Wolverines since August 6, 2022.

Kailynn Bailey was incredible, going 2-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. Those two hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Alaina Shaver, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.

Meanwhile, Gilmer fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Chattooga on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Indians by a score of 4-3.

Braley Stewart spent all 7.1 innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Mary Grace Jones made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with four stolen bases and two runs.

Gilmer's loss was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 3-2. As for Ridgeland, the win got them back to even at 1-1.

Ridgeland took their victory against Gilmer in their previous meeting back in October of 2024 by a conclusive 14-6 score. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Bobcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.