The Northside Patriots will square off against the Peach County Trojans at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Northside is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
Northside is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Georgia's top teams: Central, who was ranked 25th at the time (Northside was ranked 22nd). The Patriots came up short against the Lions on Tuesday, falling 7-1.
Wetherly Ridley spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and four unearned) runs on nine hits.
On the hitting side, Northside saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kylie Fridley, who went 1-for-3 with one double.
Peach County's found some homefield redemption this week after a overtime loss to Crawford County on Wednesday. The Trojans' pitcher stepped up to hand Manchester a 12-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Trojans, who have now won 16 games by eight runs or more so far this season.
Shaniyah Gibson was incredible, going 1-for-2 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three RBI. Avery Yaughn was another key player, going 1-for-2 with three RBI, one triple, and one run.
Peach County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Manchester only posted an OBP of .083.
Peach County's win bumped their record up to 17-12. As for Northside, their defeat was their third straight at home, which dropped their record down to 22-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Northside has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Peach County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Northside took their victory against Peach County in their previous matchup back in August by a conclusive 11-1 score. Do the Patriots have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Trojans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
