The Johnston City Indians will venture away from home to square off against the Zeigler-Royalton Tornadoes at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Johnston City is coming into the contest hot, having won their last six games.
While Johnston City's victory against Harrisburg wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Indians narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Bulldogs 7-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Indians have posted against the Bulldogs since May 1, 2019.
Peyton Johnson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned runs on 11 hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
Peyton Smith
| 05/07/25 vs Harrisburg | 1 |
| 05/06/25 vs Zeigler-Royalton | 2 |
| 05/03/25 @ Flora | 2 |
| 05/03/25 vs Mater Dei | 3 |
| 05/01/25 @ Trico | 1 |
| + 8 more games |
At the plate, Johnston City let Peyton Smith and Makenzie Mowery run wild. Smith went 2-for-3 with three runs and one stolen base, while Mowery went 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Smith is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last 13 games she's played. Adrianna Wilkening also deserves some recognition as she got her first hits of the season.
Johnston City 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 nine hits in four consecutive matches.
Zeigler-Royalton couldn't beat Johnston City on Tuesday even though they stacked four runs on them in the fifth inning. The Tornadoes lost 15-5 to the Indians. The Tornadoes have struggled against the Indians recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.
Zeigler-Royalton saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Addison Furlow, who went 1-for-2 with one home run. Caitlyn DeWeerdt was another, going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Johnston City pushed their record up to 14-9 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs over those games. As for Zeigler-Royalton, their loss dropped their record down to 10-15.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Johnston City hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .321. However, it's not like Zeigler-Royalton 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.
Everything went Johnston City's way against Zeigler-Royalton in their previous meeting on Tuesday, as Johnston City made off with a 15-5 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Indians since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
