Softball Recap: Effingham's Winning Streak Snapped at 14 Games

Hearts

Previous 5 Games

05/20/25 @ Mt. Vernon	6-10
05/19/25 vs Richland County	8-3
05/15/25 vs St. Anthony	12-2
05/14/25 vs St. Anthony	10-5
05/13/25 vs Teutopolis	5-3

Effingham dropped their record down to 23-7 on Tuesday, which also ended the team's 14-game streak of wins. They fell 10-6 to the Mt. Vernon Rams. The Hearts were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Rams apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in May of 2024.

Sidney Donaldson made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and one RBI. Jerzi Bierman was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.

As for Mt. Vernon, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 14-10. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games.

On Mt. Vernon's side, Taylor DeSmith made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off seven hits. DeSmith has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two RBI, one run, and one double.

In other batting news, Mt. Vernon let Arwin Wilkey and Paige Watson run wild. Wilkey went 2-for-4 with three runs, while Watson went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double. That's the most runs Wilkey has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Lexi Howard, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run.

Looking ahead, Effingham will look to defend their home field on Friday against Carbondale at 4:30 p.m. As for Mt. Vernon, they are taking a road trip to face off against O'Fallon at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Panthers have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 7.79 runs per game on average), something the Rams will no doubt try to take advantage of.