The Bruce Trojans will take on the South Pontotoc Cougars at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Bruce took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Palmer a 20-0 shutout. The Trojans haven't had any issues with the Dragons recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Sammie Gunter made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-2. She also hit a double, marking her first of the season.
In other batting news, Addi Bailey was a standout: she scored three runs and stole four bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Sadie Box was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while going 2-for-2.
Bruce was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .714. The last time their batting average was this high was back in March of 2024.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when South Pontotoc faced off against Ethel on Thursday. South Pontotoc blew past Ethel 14-6. Considering the Cougars have won ten contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Sammy Terry spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and three unearned) runs on seven hits.
On the hitting side, South Pontotoc got a massive performance out of Jacee Mcclellan, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all six of her plate appearances. The dominant performance also gave Mcclellan a new career-high in RBI (two). Another player making a difference was Preslee Austin, who scored two runs while getting on base in all six of her plate appearances.
South Pontotoc has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs over those games. Bruce's victory bumped their record up to 8-9.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Bruce hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .369. However, it's not like South Pontotoc 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.
Bruce suffered a grim 18-3 defeat to South Pontotoc in their previous matchup back in February. Will Bruce have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
