Softball Preview: Perry Central Bulldogs vs. East Marion Eagles
The Perry Central Bulldogs will be staying on the road on Thursday to face off against the East Marion Eagles at 6:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, Perry Central fell victim to a tough 16-1 defeat at the hands of Poplarville.
Perry Central saw one different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sophia McSwain, who went 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI.
Meanwhile, East Marion made easy work of Lumberton on Tuesday and carried off a 17-7 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for East Marion.
Zi'Kiya Bridges was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up four earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. Bridges was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with a home run, two stolen bases, and three runs.
In other batting news, Adrinae Aikens and Kayleigh Allen did most of the damage at the plate: Aikens scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3, while Allen scored three runs and stole four bases while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances. Allen has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last nine times she's played. Hayden Jackson was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing three bases.
Perry Central has been struggling recently as they've lost nine of their last 11 matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-15-1 record this season. As for East Marion, they pushed their record up to 5-11 with that victory, which was their third straight at home.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Perry Central has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .466. However, it's not like East Marion struggles in that department as they've averaged .539. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Perry Central couldn't quite finish off East Marion in their previous matchup back in February and fell 12-10. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of East Marion's Adrianna Beard, who scored a run and stole five bases while going 3-for-4. Now that Perry Central knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
