The Holmes County Blue Devils are taking a road trip to face off against the Northview Chiefs at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Holmes County is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Chipley a 10-0 shutout. Winning may never get old, but the Blue Devils sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Bri Adams made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Kiersten Womble was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February. Kendall Pugh was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Holmes County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .517. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Chipley only posted an OBP of .062.
Meanwhile, Northview hadn't done well against Jay recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Chiefs put the hurt on the Royals with a sharp 9-1 victory. The win was nothing new for the Chiefs as they're now sitting on four straight.
Mikayla McAnally spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up 17 Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Bailey Burkette, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Kylee Langham, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Holmes County's record now sits at 18-8. As for Northview, their record is now 19-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Holmes County has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Northview struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Holmes County beat Northview 7-2 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Do the Blue Devils have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Chiefs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
