The Cottondale Hornets will take on the Sneads Pirates at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Cottondale is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Malone a 15-0 shutout. The win was familiar territory for the Hornets, who have now won four contests in a row.
Alex Bellamy
| 04/15/25 vs Malone | 2 |
| 04/09/25 @ Carroll | 2 |
| 04/08/25 @ Poplar Springs | 2 |
| 03/17/25 @ Ponce De Leon | 2 |
| 03/14/25 vs Sneads | 2 |
| + 8 more games |
Alex Bellamy was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Cottondale is undefeated when Bellamy posts two or more runs, but 7-11 otherwise. Conner Barton was another key player, going 3-for-4 with four runs, four RBI, and one stolen base.
Cottondale was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .462. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Sneads waltzed into their match on Tuesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They were the clear victors by a 17-7 margin over the Atomics.
Creed Whitworth made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Sneads got a massive performance out of Kaiden Chehardy, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs, one triple, and one RBI. Those three runs gave Chehardy a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Isaiah Perkins, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
The victory got Sneads back to even at 12-12. As for Cottondale, their win bumped their record up to 14-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Cottondale has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Sneads struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Cottondale came out on top in a nail-biter against Sneads when the teams last played back in March, sneaking past 5-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hornets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
