The Saint James Trojans will venture away from home to challenge the Elmore County Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Saint James' pitching crew has only allowed 1.9 runs per game this season, so Elmore County's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Saint James is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Everything went their way against Montgomery Academy on Thursday as they made off with an 18-2 win. The Trojans haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive victory against them.
Peyton Middleton spent all three innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on three hits.
On the hitting side, Tatiana Shuford was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. Emily Needham was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Saint James always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .733. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Elmore County beat Mortimer Jordan 6-2 on Saturday.
The team relied heavily on Lalah Culpepper, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI, two runs, and one double.
Elmore County is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-10 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for Saint James, their record now sits at 32-6.
Monday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Saint James hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .416. However, it's not like Elmore County struggles in that department as they've averaged .380. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Saint James' way against Elmore County when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Saint James made off with a 12-1 victory. Will the Trojans repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
