About 27 miles from each other, Maplesville’s and Verbena’s softball teams on Thursday will travel to Tuscaloosa to play a game.

The 5 p.m. contest between the two sets of Red Devils, both of which feel they have something to prove after the county softball tournament earlier in the week, will begin the Class 1A, Area 6 tournament at Holy Spirit.

Verbena (0-4 in area play) lost its first two games in the double-elimination county tournament, and coach Jennifer Ingram said the showing should serve as motivation for the area tournament.

“As long as we can keep their heads up, we’ll be alright,” Ingram said. “I think the potential is there. It just depends on if we play up to our potential. I always have faith in my girls.”

Maplesville, meanwhile, made it all the way to the county tournament championship round before falling twice to Class 5A Chilton County. That, too, could serve as motivation for the area tournament.

“We played well in the county tournament. We’re right where we need to be,” coach Ashlie Harrison said. “I asked them after we lost, and they all agreed that we don’t want to feel that way again.”

Maplesville finished 2-2 in the area, with both losses coming to Holy Spirit. The Devils fell 7-0 at Tuscaloosa on April 3 and 7-5 at home on April 6.

The winner of the Maplesville-Verbena game will play Holy Spirit at 7 p.m. Thursday. An elimination game will be played at 4 p.m. Friday, the championship game at 6 p.m., and the “if necessary game” at 8 p.m. Friday.