The Reeltown Rebels will take on the Saint James Trojans in a tournament on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Reeltown will bounce into Friday's matchup after beating Horseshoe Bend, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. The Rebels blew past the Generals 17-8 on Thursday. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last six times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Caroline Sutherland
| 04/17/25 vs Horseshoe Bend | 5 |
| 04/15/25 @ Valley | 4 |
| 03/27/25 @ Horseshoe Bend | 3 |
| 03/17/25 vs LaFayette | 3 |
| 03/06/25 vs Beulah | 3 |
Caroline Sutherland was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up a single earned run in eight consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 5-for-5 with four runs, one triple, and two RBI. Those five hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Kellie Whitlow was a standout: she went a perfect 5-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles. Those five hits gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Lilli Johnston, who got on base in all five of her plate appearances with four runs, two doubles, and one RBI.
Reeltown kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 25 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Saint James came tearing into Thursday's contest with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.2 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Eagles a 6-0 shutout. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 17 games by six runs or more this season.
Emily Needham made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 16 over seven innings pitched. Needham was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Kaitlyn Hudson was incredible, going 3-for-4 with four stolen bases and one run. Ava Stanford was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases and two runs.
Reeltown has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-12 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Saint James, their win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 38-6.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Reeltown has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .486. However, it's not like Saint James struggles in that department as they've averaged .435. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Reeltown suffered a grim 8-2 defeat to Saint James in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Can the Rebels avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
