The McKenzie Tigers will take on the Florala Wildcats at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
McKenzie is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Georgiana a 20-0 shutout on Tuesday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Tigers considering their one-run performance the game before.
Charissa Bullard was a standout: she scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Shelby Bennett, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, Florala had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 14.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. They blew past the Eagles 15-5. Considering the Wildcats have won 11 matchups by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Paige Musso and Ella Caraway made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Musso pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. Meanwhile, Caraway pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Musso has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances. At the plate, Musso went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI, while Caraway scored a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Maci Blount and Aubree Powell did most of the damage at the plate: Blount scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4, while Powell went 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Those two stolen bases gave Blount a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Julia Leonard, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Florala kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as W.S. Neal only managed two hits.
Florala's win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-2. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.9 runs over those games. As for McKenzie, their win ended a seven-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. McKenzie has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Florala struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
McKenzie suffered a grim 12-1 defeat to Florala in their previous matchup back in February. Will the Tigers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
