Softball Game Preview: Ponce De Leon Pirates vs. Walton Braves

The Ponce De Leon Pirates will take on the Walton Braves at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Neither of those teams managed to put together many runs in their previous contests, so the offenses might be a little more motivated than usual.

Ponce De Leon will face Walton after dropping another heartbreaker against Paxton on Thursday, which marked the second time in a row the team's come within 2.1 of beating them. The Pirates lost 11-1 to the Bobcats. The Pirates haven't had much luck with the Bobcats recently, as the team has come up short the last nine times they've met.

Ponce De Leon saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kiyann Alford, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI.

Meanwhile, Walton fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Cottondale on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Hornets by a score of 3-2.

Ponce De Leon's defeat dropped their record down to 5-9. As for Walton, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-10 record this season.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Ponce De Leon has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Walton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Ponce De Leon came out on top in a nail-biter against Walton when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 2-1. Do the Pirates have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Braves turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.