Softball Game Preview: McDowell Titans vs. R-S Central Hilltoppers

The McDowell Titans will take on the R-S Central Hilltoppers at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The last three games McDowell has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

McDowell is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 11 runs last Monday, they were much more limited against East Rutherford on Thursday. They fell just short of the Cavaliers by a score of 2-1. That's two games in a row now that the Titans have lost by just one run.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for R-S Central, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They put the hurt on Polk County with a sharp 18-3 win on Tuesday. The Hilltoppers have beaten the Wolverines the last seven times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Wolverines has come to flipping the script.

Alexis Nanney was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Ella Hasty, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, one triple, and one double.

R-S Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .543. The last time their OBP was this high was back in March of 2024.

R-S Central's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 3-1. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 12 runs. As for McDowell, their loss dropped their record down to 1-4.

McDowell came up short against R-S Central in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 8-4. Can McDowell avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.