Softball Game Preview: Northside Rams vs. Jasper Vikings

The Northside Rams will challenge the Jasper Vikings at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Neither Northside nor Jasper posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.

Northside is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alabama's top teams: Oak Mountain, who was ranked 18th at the time (Northside was ranked 17th). The Rams came up short against the Eagles on Friday, falling 7-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Rams have suffered since March 21, 2025.

Meanwhile, Jasper was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 2-1 heartbreaker at the hands of Oak Mountain.

Jasper saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Lilly Banks, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one double and one RBI.

Northside's defeat dropped their record down to 33-10-1. As for Jasper, their loss dropped their record down to 18-15.

Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Saturday. Northside hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Jasper struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.6 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.

Northside came out on top in a nail-biter against Jasper in their previous matchup back in February, sneaking past 4-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rams since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.