Decatur hasn't had much luck against Athens recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Decatur Red Raiders will be playing in front of their home fans against the Athens Golden Eagles at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Decatur is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Everything went their way against Lee on Wednesday as Decatur made off with a 30-4 win. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Red Raiders considering their two-run performance the contest before.
Mallie Hudson made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Those zero hits allowed gave her a new career-low. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March of 2024.
Lizzie Kresch
| 03/19/25 @ Lee | 4 |
| 03/01/25 vs Decatur Heritage Christian Academy | 3 |
| 02/28/25 vs East Limestone | 2 |
| 02/27/25 @ Falkville | 2 |
In other batting news, Decatur let Lizzie Kresch and Emme Palmer run wild. Kresch went 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one double, while Palmer scored three runs while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances. The dominant performance gave Kresch a new career-high in RBI. Another player making a difference was Josey Hendrix, who scored three runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Decatur always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .891. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, it may have taken nine innings to finish the job, but Athens ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They won by a run and slipped past Hartselle 8-7. Winning may never get old, but the Golden Eagles sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Camry Townsend tossed a big game, pitching 6.1 innings while giving up four earned runs off eight hits.
At the plate, Lily Lowery was incredible, going 4-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Amaya Green was another key player, scoring three runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Decatur's victory ended a seven-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-14. As for Athens, their win bumped their record up to 14-6.
Decatur might still be hurting after the 11-0 defeat they got from Athens in their previous matchup back in March of 2022. Will Decatur have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
