The Southwestern Piasa Birds will face off against the Calhoun Warriors at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Southwestern will bounce into Saturday's game after beating Gillespie, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. The Piasa Birds blew past the Miners 14-7 on Tuesday. The victory was familiar territory for the Piasa Birds, who have now won eight matchups in a row.
Vivian Zurheide
| 04/29/25 vs Gillespie | 6 |
| 04/11/25 @ Hillsboro | 5 |
| 04/23/25 @ New Berlin | 4 |
| 04/15/25 vs North Mac | 4 |
| 04/08/25 vs North Greene | 3 |
Vivian Zurheide was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, six RBI, and two runs. Those six RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Kinley Lucas, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with four runs and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Southwestern kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in ten consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, while Calhoun put up plenty of runs on Thursday, the same can't be said for Greenfield/Northwestern. The Warriors were the clear victors by a 12-0 margin over the Tigers. The win was nothing new for the Warriors as they're now sitting on three straight.
Audrey Gilman was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 19 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 17 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, firing off two home runs and eight RBI while going 2-for-5.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Annie Wilson, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. Lilly Pelletier was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs.
Southwestern pushed their record up to 10-3-1 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.2 runs over those games. As for Calhoun, their victory bumped their record up to 15-6.
Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Southwestern hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .365. However, it's not like Calhoun struggles in that department as they've averaged .345. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Southwestern beat Calhoun 4-0 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will the Piasa Birds repeat their success, or do the Warriors have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
