The Elba Tigers will take on the Carroll Eagles in a tournament on Monday. Elba has given up an average of 7.9 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Elba is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 15 runs on Tuesday, they were much more limited against Red Level on Thursday. They came up short against Red Level, falling 16-1. Elba has struggled against Red Level recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
Meanwhile, Carroll made easy work of Russell County on Monday and carried off a 9-3 victory. Considering the Eagles have won five contests by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Anzley McInnis spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on four hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Carroll let Nevaeh Landrum and Trinity Tyrues run wild. Landrum went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Tyrues went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Those two RBI gave Tyrues a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Ashleigh Peters, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Elba's defeat dropped their record down to 10-12. As for Carroll, their win bumped their record up to 7-8.
Carroll's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Elba has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .459. It's a different story for Carroll, though, as they've only averaged .345. Will they be able to contain Elba's hitters?
Everything went Elba's way against Carroll in their previous matchup back in March of 2022, as Elba made off with a 13-7 victory. Will the Tigers repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.