South Ripley is 0-10 against Rising Sun since April of 2019 but things could change on Wednesday. The Raiders will host the Shiners at 5:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with three losses in a row, South Ripley turned things around against Southwestern on Monday. They came out on top against the Rebels by a score of 5-2. The game was the first time the Raiders have beaten the Rebels on their field since April 23, 2022.
Ellie Combs spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on four hits and racked up ten Ks.
On the hitting side, South Ripley saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Emma Heidt, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. That's the most stolen bases Heidt has posted since back in April of 2024. Anna Block was another, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Rising Sun). They blew past Switzerland County 18-2 on Monday. The Shiners haven't had any issues with the Pacers recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.
Emily Oatman made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs.
In other batting news, Lexi Morris was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Those RBI were her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Ryan Works, who went 1-for-2 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs.
Rising Sun always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Rising Sun's victory was their 12th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-3. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for South Ripley, their victory bumped their record up to 2-6.
South Ripley suffered a grim 12-0 defeat to Rising Sun when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Raiders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
