The Geneva County Bulldogs will face off against the Poplar Springs Atomics at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Geneva County has seven straight wins, Poplar Springs has six straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Thursday, Geneva County made easy work of Graceville and carried off a 19-2 victory. The Bulldogs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by ten runs or more this season.
Kaylee Watson was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Those eight strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, six RBI, and three runs. She has been hot recently, having also posted at least one stolen base the last four times she's played.
Addie Mae Habbard
| 04/03/25 @ Graceville | 2 |
| 04/02/25 @ Samson | 2 |
| 04/01/25 @ Cottonwood | 1 |
| 03/22/25 vs New Brockton | 1 |
| 03/18/25 vs Elba | 2 |
| + 8 more games |
In other batting news, Maci Strickland and Addie Mae Habbard did most of the damage at the plate: Strickland scored four runs and stole four bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances, while Habbard scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Habbard is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last 13 games she's played dating back to last season. Another player making a difference was Jaden-Scott Majors, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Geneva County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .628 or higher in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Poplar Springs came up short against Laurel Hill on Wednesday, falling 18-8.
McKenzie Bell was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing four bases. Marissa Bollon was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.
Geneva County's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-6. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Poplar Springs, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-6.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Geneva County has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .516. However, it's not like Poplar Springs struggles in that department as they've averaged .444. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Geneva County took their win against Poplar Springs when the teams last played back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 11-1 score. Do the Bulldogs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Atomics turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
