The Homewood Patriots will face off against the Minor Tigers at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Homewood came into their game on Monday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They came up short against West Blocton, falling 12-1. The loss continues a trend for the Patriots in their meetings with the Tigers: they've now lost three in a row.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Minor, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. Everything went their way against Jackson-Olin on Tuesday as Minor made off with a 17-1 win. Considering the Tigers have won six games by more than nine runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Daniyah Westbrook made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two doubles.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rhian Williams, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, five stolen bases, and three runs. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February of 2024. Makiyah Motley was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing Three bases. while going 1-for-1.
Minor's victory bumped their record up to 8-5. As for Homewood, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-7-1.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Homewood hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .357. However, it's not like Minor struggles in that department as they've averaged .464. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Homewood took their win against Minor when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 22-6. Does Homewood have another victory up their sleeve, or will Minor turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
