The Starkville Yellowjackets will face off against the Germantown Mavericks at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Starkville is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.6 runs per game this season.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Starkville turned things around against Choctaw County on Friday. They walked away with a 9-6 victory over the Chargers.
Sadie Foote was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Alex Jones, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Starkville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. The last time their OBP was this high was back in February.
Meanwhile, Germantown made easy work of Tupelo on Thursday and carried off a 14-4 win. The Mavericks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matches by six runs or more this season.
Mackenzie Donnell spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and three unearned) runs on eight hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Maggie Lindley, who scored three runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. What's more, she posted two RBI, the most she's had since back in February. Raines Ramage was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances.
Germantown is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.4 runs on average over those games. Starkville's win bumped their record up to 6-10.
Saturday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Starkville has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .437. However, it's not like Germantown struggles in that department as they've averaged .435. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Starkville suffered a grim 20-2 defeat to Germantown when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can Starkville avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
