Softball Game Preview: Edwards County Lions vs. Mt. Carmel Aces

The Edwards County Lions will head out on the road to face off against the Mt. Carmel Aces at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Edwards County turned things around against Cisne on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 19-2 margin over the Runnin' Lions. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Lions considering their two-run performance the contest before.

Allison Groff made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out six batters over 3.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two runs.

Lily Jones

Runs Batted In (Career)

05/13/26 vs Cisne	4
04/14/26 vs Carmi-White County	3
03/23/26 vs Norris City-Omaha-Enfield	3
05/10/25 vs Chester	3
04/07/25 vs Grayville	3

In other batting news, Edwards County let Kyndal Richards and Lily Jones run wild. Richards got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, four RBI, and two runs, while Jones went 1-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Those four RBI gave Jones a new career-high. Grace Bishop was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three runs.

Edwards County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .625. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Cisne only posted an OBP of .250.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Mt. Carmel). They blew past Grayville 23-1 on Wednesday. The Aces haven't had any issues with the Bison recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.

Edwards County's record is now 19-9. As for Mt. Carmel, their record now sits at 19-4.

Edwards County might still be hurting after the 16-8 loss they got from Mt. Carmel in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Lions avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.