The Rogers Pirates will take on the West Limestone Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Rogers is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Mars Hill Bible just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Monday. They took a 7-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Panthers.
Piper Gooch was cooking despite her team's loss, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run and one stolen base. That stolen base marked the first that she snagged this season. Alona Davis was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, West Limestone entered their tilt with Lauderdale County on Monday with ten consecutive wins , and they'll enter their next game with 11. They never let the Tigers get on the board and left with a 7-0 win. Considering the Wildcats have won 11 matches by more than six runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
The result came thanks to JuliAnn Kyle's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up 14 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, West Limestone let Aubrey Bethune and Lilly Bethune run wild. Aubrey went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Lilly went 3-for-4 with one home run and two runs. Another player making a difference was Ella Yarbrough, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
West Limestone hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most five strikeouts in 15 consecutive contests.
West Limestone pushed their record up to 17-2 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Rogers, their loss dropped their record down to 4-3.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Rogers has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .456. However, it's not like West Limestone struggles in that department as they've averaged .539. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Rogers might still be hurting after the 12-2 defeat they got from West Limestone when the teams last played back in May of 2023. Can Rogers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
