The Casey-Westfield Warriors will challenge the Mattoon Greenwave at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Casey-Westfield sitting on nine straight victories and Mattoon on six.
Casey-Westfield had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the ten-run drubbing they dealt Christ Our Rock Lutheran on Thursday. The Warriors put the hurt on the Silver Stallions with a sharp 17-7 win. Considering the Warriors have won 22 games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Ava Goble
| 05/15/25 vs Christ Our Rock Lutheran | 2 |
| 05/10/25 vs Mater Dei | 1 |
| 05/10/25 vs Deer Creek-Mackinaw | 1 |
| 05/06/25 @ Hutsonville/Palestine | 1 |
| 05/05/25 vs Paris | 2 |
| + 8 more games |
Ava Goble made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over six innings while giving up six earned runs off seven hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, firing off two home runs and four RBI while going 2-for-4. What's more, she posted two runs, the most she's had since back in April.
In other batting news, Lucy Moore and Anna Karras did most of the damage at the plate: Moore went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles, while Karras went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double. That's the most doubles Moore has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Arhianna Bonds, who went 1-for-2 with one home run and one stolen base.
Casey-Westfield always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .575. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Christ Our Rock Lutheran only posted an OBP of .406.
Meanwhile, Mattoon never let their opponents score on Thursday. They blew past Taylorville 13-0.
Mattoon also got a great performance from Hanna Griffin as she didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Lexi Murdock was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double. Isabel Phillips was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, one run, and one double.
Mattoon's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-14. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Casey-Westfield, their record now sits at 28-3.
Mattoon's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Casey-Westfield has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Mattoon, though, as they've been averaging 9.4 hits. Given Casey-Westfield's sizable advantage in that area, the Greenwave will need to find a way to close that gap.
Casey-Westfield took their victory against Mattoon in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 15-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
