This week, I will cover my first prep softball game of the season, and man did I pull a solid assignment: No. 7 St. Albans plays host to second-ranked Hurricane at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Rankings taken from this week's West Virginia sportswriters poll published in The Daily Mail. Click here for the full poll.
This contest features two of Region 4's top teams. Previously this season, the Redskins defeated the Red Dragons 9-0 at Hurricane April 9.
St. Albans entered Wednesday's action with a 19-3 record, following a doubleheader sweep at Winfield on Tuesday, while Hurricane enters Wednesday's games with a 20-3 record after a 4-1 win at Riverside on Tuesday. St. Albans plays host to Huntington 6 p.m. today, while Hurricane visits Ripley at 5:30 p.m. today. Results of today's games were not available at the publish time of this post.
In the teams' previous matchup, Redskins sophomore pitcher Courtney Rogers struck out six and allowed three singles in the shutout victory. Rogers improved to 11-1 following Hurricane's victory against Riverside on Tuesday.
The Redskins pitching staff has combined to throw nine shutouts this season. Hurricane has allowed just 53 runs in 23 games, an average of 2.26 runs per game.
In addition to Rogers, sophomore Emily Davis represents the team's other go-to pitcher.
Offensively, Hurricane has posted 253 runs this season, an average of 11 runs per game.
Beyond Rogers and Davis, the Redskins are well balanced with many contributors at the plate and defensively, including: senior catcher Linzie Reynolds, sophomore shortstop Cassi Sargent, sophomore second baseman Madi Casto, senior center fielder Nicole Pierson, junior left fielder Addie Fullen, senior Haley Byrd and freshman Maddie Hebb, among others.
Meanwhile, at St. Albans, the Red Dragons are led by senior pitcher Ali Haynes and senior catcher Mariah Caudill.
Haynes began the week with a 67-11 record, the highest win total of any Class AAA pitcher in Kanawha County history, according to an article written by Daily Mail prep sports editor Derek Taylor, published earlier this week.
Haynes, a West Virginia State University commit, is a three-time All-Kanawha Valley selection. For the 2012 regular season, Haynes finished with a 22-6 record and 1.18 ERA. At the plate, she hit .368 with three home runs and a team-best 35 RBI.
Should Haynes pitch against Hurricane, she'll look for better success than her last effort versus the Redskins. In the previous meeting, Haynes allowed seven earned runs on 12 hits.
In addition to Haynes and Caudill, the Red Dragons will look for help from junior shortstop Madi Marshall, sophomore third baseman Alyssa Bonham, junior first baseman Halli McCown, Whitney Jones, among others.
While St. Albans may be the perennial power, Hurricane will look to upend the Red Dragons on St. Albans' turf. With the Redskins' first-ever Mountain State Athletic Conference softball championship last season and a shutout of St. Albans already this season, Hurricane is poised to take its turn as the region's top dog.
Either way, I expect a solid game Thursday, and I'm looking forward to covering my first softball game of the season between two very talented teams.
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