The Southside Panthers will take on the Saint James Trojans in a tournament on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Southside barely beat Etowah the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Southside was the clear victors by a 16-3 margin over Etowah on Thursday. The contest marked the Panthers' most dominant win of the season so far.
Jalyn Allen was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits (and not a single walk). Furthermore, she didn't allow a single walk, the first time she has blanked an opponent since back in April of 2024. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Rylann Shaw
| 03/06/25 vs Etowah | 3 |
| 02/25/25 vs Springville | 2 |
| 02/27/24 vs Oxford | 2 |
| 02/24/24 vs Arab | 2 |
| 02/24/24 @ Alexandria | 2 |
In other batting news, Rylann Shaw was a standout: she scored three runs and stole Three bases. while going 2-for-4. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in stolen bases. Another player making a difference was Lauren Mckee, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run and three runs.
Southside always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .639. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Saint James put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Glenwood 12-1. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight games by six runs or more this season.
The team relied heavily on Sydney Johnston, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, four RBI, and one triple. She continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Ava Stanford was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Saint James' victory was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 14-0. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Southside, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Friday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Southside has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .510. However, it's not like Saint James struggles in that department as they've averaged .469. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
