The Alexander Spartans will take on the Clay Panthers at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Alexander has given up an average of 15.3 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Alexander is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They had just enough and edged out Oak Hill 15-14 on Tuesday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Spartans considering their one-run performance the match before.
Maddie Brookins
| 05/06/25 @ Oak Hill | 5 |
| 04/16/24 @ Nelsonville-York | 2 |
| 03/25/24 vs Federal Hocking | 2 |
| 04/30/25 vs Athens | 1 |
| 03/24/25 @ Belpre | 1 |
Maddie Brookins was a standout: she went a perfect 4-for-4 with five stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. Those five stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kaylee Hudnall, who went 4-for-5 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs.
Alexander was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .487. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Clay entered their tilt with Western on Wednesday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They put the hurt on the Indians with a sharp 8-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won 15 games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Laney Shepherd was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Elin Shaw, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one stolen base. Sarah Cassidy was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Alexander's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-12. As for Clay, their victory bumped their record up to 17-8.
Alexander took their win against Clay in their previous matchup back in May of 2018 by a conclusive 11-4 score. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
