The East Columbus Gators will challenge the Purnell Swett Rams at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as East Columbus comes in on eight and Purnell Swett on three.
While East Columbus' victory against Heide Trask wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Gators sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 win over the Titans on Wednesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Gators have posted since March 14th.
Amber Ochca looked comfortable as she pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Aleigh Godwin was incredible, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.
East Columbus hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Heide Trask struck out seven times.
Hoke County typically has all the answers at home, but on Wednesday Purnell Swett proved too difficult a challenge. They walked away with a 10-6 win over the Bucks. Purnell Swett's victory was all the more impressive since the Bucks were averaging only four runs allowed on the season.
Kam Locklear made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out nine batters over 6.2 innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off 11 hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in March. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Purnell Swett let Lanna Haggans and Chloe Chavis run wild. Haggans went 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one double, while Chavis scored three runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave Chavis a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayla Graham, who scored two runs while going 1-for-2.
East Columbus pushed their record up to 15-2 with the win, which was their sixth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Purnell Swett, the win got them back to even at 9-9.
Purnell Swett's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: East Columbus has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 12.2 hits per game. It's a different story for Purnell Swett, though, as they've been averaging 10.5 hits. Given East Columbus' sizable advantage in that area, the Rams will need to find a way to close that gap.
East Columbus was able to grind out a solid victory over Purnell Swett in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, winning 4-1. Will the Gators repeat their success, or do the Rams have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
