Softball Preview: Mt. Zion Braves vs. Normal Community Ironmen
Mt. Zion and Normal Community are an even 4-4 against one another since April of 2016, but likely not for long. The Mt. Zion Braves will look to defend their home field on Tuesday against the Normal Community Ironmen at 4:15 p.m. Mt. Zion will be looking to keep their 12-game home win streak dating back to last season alive.
Mt. Zion put the finishing touches on their ninth blowout victory of the season on Saturday. Everything went their way against Taylorville as Mt. Zion made off with an 11-5 victory.
Nikki Ellegood made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits. Ellegood has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive pitching appearances. Ellegood was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Mt. Zion let Avelyn Ethell and Addy Rotz loose on the outfield. Ethell scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-3, while Rotz scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Karlie Teel was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Normal Community scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Saturday. They walked away with a 17-12 win over Champaign Central. The victory was just what Normal Community needed coming off of a 16-6 defeat in their prior matchup.
Normal Community let Madison Ummel and McKenna Baughman loose on the outfield. Ummel scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4, while Baughman went 3-for-4 with a home run and four runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Carson Damery, who went 2-for-6 with three RBI and two doubles.
Mt. Zion's win bumped their record up to 12-0. As for Normal Community, their victory bumped their record up to 4-8.
Mt. Zion's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's match. Mt. Zion has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Normal Community, though, as they've been averaging only 1. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Mt. Zion continue to outrun the ball?
Mt. Zion came out on top in a nail-biter against Normal Community in their previous meeting back in April of 2023, sneaking past 7-5. Will Mt. Zion repeat their success, or does Normal Community have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
