Richland County is 8-2 against Oblong since April of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. The Tigers will be taking part in a tournament against the Panthers at 9:00 a.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Oblong will be up against a hot Richland County squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. Richland County blew past Paris 16-6 on Thursday.
Taylor Bloomer was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off six hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 4-for-5 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April.
Kaitlyn Dowty
| 05/15/25 @ Paris | 4 |
| 03/20/24 @ Cumberland | 3 |
| 05/11/24 vs Oblong | 2 |
| 05/13/25 vs Hutsonville/Palestine | 1 |
| 05/07/25 vs Mattoon | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kaitlyn Dowty, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaylen Gwyn, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Oblong entered their tilt with St. Elmo on Thursday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 11-1 victory.
Like Richland County, Oblong also got a great game from a two-way player: Zya Bricker. On the mound, she tossed five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Bricker was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Brooke Kintner was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, four runs, and four RBI. Maggie Bailey was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs.
Richland County pushed their record up to 12-8 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Oblong, they now have a winning record of 7-6.
Richland County took their win against Oblong when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 14-1 score. Do the Tigers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
