The Argenta-Oreana Bombers will challenge the Arthur-Okaw Christian Conquering Riders at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Argenta-Oreana is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.9 runs per game this season.
Argenta-Oreana took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 16-3 margin over Villa Grove. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Bombers considering their one-run performance the matchup before.
Elyssa Armstrong made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. Armstrong was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one double.
In other batting news, Pyper Jones was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Gracie Manning, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs.
Argenta-Oreana was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .517. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Villa Grove only posted a batting average of .238.
Meanwhile, Thursday just wasn't the day for Arthur-Okaw Christian's offense. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of Mattoon on Thursday. Having soared to a lofty 12 runs in the game before, the Conquering Riders' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Argenta-Oreana's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-11. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Arthur-Okaw Christian, with the defeat, they broke their three-game winning streak and moved their record to 5-4.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Argenta-Oreana hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .339. However, it's not like Arthur-Okaw Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .326. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
