Atkinson County is 0-10 against Lanier County since October of 2020 but things could change on Monday. The Rebels will welcome the Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Atkinson County took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Dougherty a 12-0 shutout. The Rebels haven't had any issues with the Trojans recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive win against them.
Meanwhile, Lanier County won against Echols County on Tuesday with 12 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Thursday. The Bulldogs put the hurt on Berrien with a sharp 12-6 victory. The result was nothing new for the Bulldogs, who have now won 14 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Shelby McKettrick made a splash no matter where she played. She tossed four innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with three runs, one double, and one RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in September.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sayla Shade, who fired off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 5-for-5. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Brilee Burkhalter, who went 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Lanier County hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in six consecutive matchups.
Atkinson County's win bumped their record up to 6-11. As for Lanier County, their victory bumped their record up to 18-5.
Atkinson County suffered a grim 12-0 defeat to Lanier County when the teams last played back in August. Will the Rebels have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
