Southwest DeKalb is 0-5 against Lakeside since September of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Southwest DeKalb Panthers will be staying on the road to face off against the Lakeside Vikings at 11:00 a.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Southwest DeKalb is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Lithonia with a sharp 23-3 win on Thursday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Panthers with their most commanding win of the season.
Makayla Dixon made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off one hit (and only one walk). Dixon was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Southwest DeKalb let Bailee Canty and Madelyn Flournoy loose on the outfield. Canty got on base in all four of her plate appearances with five RBI, three runs, and two doubles, while Flournoy went 3-for-3 with a home run, three runs, and four RBI. That home run marked the first that Flournoy's launched this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Saniya Rice, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Southwest DeKalb always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .912. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lithonia only posted an OBP of .286.
Meanwhile, Lakeside waltzed into their matchup on Thursday with four straight wins... but they left with five. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Rams a 12-0 shutout. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Vikings considering their one-run performance the contest before.
Ellie Lenz was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Sydney Conrad, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-2.
Southwest DeKalb now has a winning record of 5-4. As for Lakeside, their victory was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-2.
Saturday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Southwest DeKalb has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of 0. However, it's not like Lakeside struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Southwest DeKalb suffered a grim 11-2 defeat to Lakeside in their previous matchup back in August of 2023. Can Southwest DeKalb avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
