The Cottondale Hornets are taking a road trip to face off against the Poplar Springs Atomics at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Cottondale is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.7 runs per game this season.
Cottondale is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 14 runs on Wednesday, they were much more limited against Madison County on Thursday. They came up short against the Cowboys, falling 9-1.
Cottondale saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Conner Barton, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last game, Poplar Springs made sure to put some runs up on the board against Bethlehem on Friday. The Atomics blew past the Wildcats 13-3. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Atomics' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Baron Hall was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. He is becoming a predictor of Poplar Springs' success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is 4-2 (and 3-5 when he doesn't). Hall was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brayson Blanton, who scored three runs and stole five bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. He has become a key player for Poplar Springs: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 4-7 otherwise. Landen Gammons was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Poplar Springs always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .706. They are 5-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
The win got Poplar Springs back to even at 7-7. As for Cottondale, they dropped their record down to 10-11 with the defeat, which was their third straight at home.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Cottondale has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Poplar Springs struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Cottondale took their victory against Poplar Springs in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 12-2 score. Will the Hornets repeat their success, or do the Atomics have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
