Gardendale has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the Hayden Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Gardendale has not done well against Mortimer Jordan recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. Gardendale won by a run and slipped past Mortimer Jordan 4-3.
Sophie Gant spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on seven hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in four consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Kenley Vaughn was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Hayden scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Wednesday. They were the clear victor by a 17-0 margin over Fairview. Considering Hayden's hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Gracie Butler was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Butler was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Baylee Scott, who went 2-for-2 with a triple, a stolen base, and a run. Haley Davis was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.
Gardendale has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven games, which provided a nice bump to their 9-4-1 record this season. As for Hayden, they pushed their record up to 9-11-2 with that win, which was their third straight at home.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Gardendale hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .319. However, it's not like Hayden struggles in that department as they've averaged .316. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Gardendale came up short against Hayden in their previous meeting back in April of 2018, falling 9-6. Can Gardendale avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
