Ben L. Smith hasn't had much luck against Southern Guilford recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Golden Eagles will be playing at home against the Storm at 6:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
On Friday, Ben L. Smith made easy work of Dudley and carried off a 20-10 win. With that victory, the Golden Eagles brought their scoring average up to 6.5 runs per game.
Makaylah Taylor-Neal
| 04/04/25 @ Dudley | 14 |
| 03/28/25 @ Atkins | 8 |
| 03/11/25 vs Dudley | 7 |
| 04/02/25 vs Western Guilford | 5 |
| 03/26/25 vs Parkland | 4 |
Makaylah Taylor-Neal made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up seven earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. Those 14 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was even better at the plate, scoring four runs and stealing three bases while going 3-for-5.
In other batting news, Ben L. Smith got a massive performance out of Keani Scurlock-Slade, who scored four runs and stole eight bases while going 2-for-4. Those eight stolen bases gave Scurlock-Slade a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Alyzah Shuler, who scored three runs and stole eight bases while going 2-for-5.
Ben L. Smith kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Southern Guilford got the win against Atkins on Friday by a conclusive 12-2. Considering the Storm have won seven games by more than nine runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Ben L. Smith, Southern Guilford also got a great game from a two-way player: Kenly Brown. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Brown was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with four runs, one triple, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kylie Misenhiemer, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Baylie Inman, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Southern Guilford has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.3 runs over those games. As for Ben L. Smith, their victory ended a 12-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Ben L. Smith has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 9.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Southern Guilford struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Ben L. Smith might still be hurting after the 15-0 defeat they got from Southern Guilford in their previous matchup back in March. Will the Golden Eagles have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
