The Tinora Rams will face off against the Elmwood Royals at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Tinora fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Liberty Center on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Tigers by a score of 7-5.
Zoe Billings
| 05/02/25 @ Liberty Center | 6 |
| 04/29/25 vs Hicksville | 7 |
| 04/26/25 vs Coldwater | 9 |
Zoe Billings put in work no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out six batters over 7.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and six unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Paige Gamby made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Trynity Koerber, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Elmwood got the win against Van Buren on Wednesday by a conclusive 16-3. The Royals might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine contests by nine runs or more this season.
Like Tinora, Elmwood also got a great game from a two-way player: Addi Hoffman. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). Hoffman was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Libbie Tyson, who fired off two home runs and four RBI while going 2-for-3. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Bristol Evans was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Elmwood was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .559. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Elmwood has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.2 runs over those games. As for Tinora, their loss was their fifth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 6-10.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Tinora hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .320. However, it's not like Elmwood struggles in that department as they've averaged .373. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Tinora suffered a grim 21-3 defeat to Elmwood when the teams last played back in April of 2023. Can the Rams avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
