Baseball Game Preview: Russell County Warriors vs. Marion County Eagles

The Russell County Warriors are taking a road trip to face off against the Marion County Eagles at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Russell County will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each match than the last.

Russell County is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past Chattahoochee County 19-0 on Thursday. The Warriors haven't had any issues with the Panthers recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.

Shane Otipoby

Stolen Base

03/20/25 @ Chattahoochee County	2
03/08/25 vs Columbus	2
02/22/25 @ Glenwood	2
03/18/25 @ Smiths Station	1
03/15/25 @ Northside	1
+ 3 more games

Shane Otipoby made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 14 over six innings pitched. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in March of 2024. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. Russell County is 2-1 when Otipoby posts two or more stolen bases, but 4-9 otherwise.

In other batting news, Harley Shoffner was a standout: he scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. Those two hits gave him a new career-high. Conner Cox was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.

Russell County kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.

Fans were treated to a battle of the Eagles on Friday. Marion County lost 8-1 to Crawford County. Marion County has struggled against Crawford County recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost meeting.

Marion County's defeat dropped their record down to 6-11-1. As for Russell County, their record now sits at 6-10.

Russell County took their victory against Marion County in their previous matchup back in March of 2023 by a conclusive 14-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for Russell County since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.