Alexandria has won three straight games at home, while Pineville has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Trojans will welcome the Rebels at 5:00 p.m. One thing working in Alexandria's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last five contests.
Last Tuesday, Alexandria got the win against Ouachita Parish by a conclusive 12-2. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 15 matches by six runs or more this season.
Alexandria got a great performance from Lauren Bonnette as she pitched five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. Bonnette has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Amiyah Wilson and Mary Claire Brinkman did most of the damage at the plate: Wilson got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, five RBI, and two runs, while Brinkman got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most RBI Brinkman has posted since back in March. Sarah Grace Buckels was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Alexandria always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .613. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ouachita Parish only posted an OBP of .261.
Meanwhile, Pineville beat Ruston 8-3 on Tuesday. The victory continues a trend for the Rebels in their matchups with the Bearcats: they've now won three in a row.
Madalyn Halle was a standout: she went 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Mallory Edwards, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.
Alexandria is on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 13 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 21-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.4 runs over those games. As for Pineville, their victory bumped their record up to 24-3.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Alexandria has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .447. However, it's not like Pineville struggles in that department as they've averaged .493. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Alexandria came out on top in a nail-biter against Pineville in their previous meeting back in March, sneaking past 8-6. Do the Trojans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rebels turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
