The Gadsden City Titans will take on the Southside Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Gadsden City is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Gadsden City made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Glencoe, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Gadsden City put the hurt on Glencoe with a sharp 11-1 victory on Monday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Titans needed considering they were shut out in their previous match.
Kiera Hampton was incredible, going 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Shay Kitchens, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Southside, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Oxford on Tuesday, sneaking past 7-6. The win continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Yellow Jackets: they've now won four in a row.
Paxton Huddleston spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and four unearned) runs on eight hits. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in strikeouts (five).
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Rylann Shaw, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Bailey Houston was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
The victory got Southside back to even at 4-4. As for Gadsden City, their win ended a six-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-10.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Gadsden City hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .313. However, it's not like Southside struggles in that department as they've averaged .379. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Gadsden City suffered a grim 12-6 defeat to Southside in their previous matchup back in April of 2017. Can Gadsden City avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
