The Mortimer Jordan Blue Devils will venture away from home to challenge the Hayden Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The last four games Mortimer Jordan has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Mortimer Jordan got their first taste of in-conference action on Tuesday and they started things off strong. They skirted past Cullman 6-5. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Tatum Hays T. was excellent, scoring a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Keeton White was another key player, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Hayden). They were the clear victors by a 16-0 margin over Center Point on Wednesday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Wildcats considering their two-run performance the contest before.
Hannah Davidson was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in March. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Jordan Plan was a standout: she scored three runs while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Kinslie Ireland, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Hayden is on a roll lately: they've won 18 of their last 21 matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 26-17 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.5 runs over those games. As for Mortimer Jordan, they pushed their record up to 18-19 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Mortimer Jordan hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .321. However, it's not like Hayden struggles in that department as they've averaged .323. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mortimer Jordan came out on top in a nail-biter against Hayden when the teams last played back in March, sneaking past 6-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Blue Devils since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
