Greenville hasn't had much luck against Southwestern recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Comets will challenge the Piasa Birds at 4:30 p.m. Greenville is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.
Greenville had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the seven-run drubbing they dealt Litchfield on Tuesday. The Comets blew past the Purple Panthers 8-1. The win continues a trend for the Comets in their matchups with the Purple Panthers: they've now won three in a row.
Payton White
| 05/06/25 vs Litchfield | 10 |
| 05/05/25 vs Carlinville | 5 |
| 05/02/25 @ Pana | 7 |
| 04/22/25 vs Hillsboro | 6 |
| 04/18/25 @ Gillespie | 2 |
| + 6 more games |
Payton White made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in March. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Haylee Clark, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and four RBI. Emma Bingham was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
Greenville kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Litchfield only managed one hit.
Meanwhile, Southwestern came tearing into Wednesday's contest with ten straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.5 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They walked away with a 10-5 victory over the Knights.
Like Greenville, Southwestern also got a great game from a two-way player: Hannah Mary. She struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. Mary was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and two RBI.
In other batting news, Sydney Valdes was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Those doubles marked the first that she has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Madison Fenstermaker, who went 2-for-3 with three runs.
Southwestern pushed their record up to 13-3-1 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Greenville, their record now sits at 18-5-1.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Greenville hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .337. However, it's not like Southwestern struggles in that department as they've averaged .369. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Greenville might still be hurting after the 11-4 defeat they got from Southwestern in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Comets avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
