The Antioch Bears will challenge the Overton Bobcats at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Antioch's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. Everything went their way against Stratford as they made off with a 25-0 victory. The Bears' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Arianna Mitchell made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Mitchell was even better at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and four RBI. Those stolen bases marked the first that she snagged this season.
In other batting news, Antioch got a massive performance out of Avah Haynie, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, four runs, and four RBI. That's the most RBI Haynie has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Chiari Batey, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, four RBI, and one triple.
Antioch always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .917. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Overton hadn't done well against Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet recently (they were 0-8 in their previous eight matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Bobcats blew past the Royals 19-6. The win was nothing new for the Bobcats as they're now sitting on six straight.
Jailyn Norman was a major factor no matter where she played. She pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits. Norman was also solid in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Ella Meacham was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one double. Talitha Winningham was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4.
Overton's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-4. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.7 runs over those games. As for Antioch, their victory bumped their record up to 9-6.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Antioch hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .475. However, it's not like Overton struggles in that department as they've averaged .461. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Antioch suffered a grim 15-4 defeat to Overton in their previous meeting on April 1st. Will the Bears have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
