Softball Recap: Russia Comes Up Short

Russia extended their losing streak to three on Friday, dropping their season record down to 6-9 in the process. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 6-4 heartbreaker at the hands of the Shawnee Braves. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Raiders have suffered since May 15, 2024.

As for Shawnee, the victory (which was their 12th in a row) raised their record to 15-2. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games.

For Shawnee's part, Sydney Blanke looked comfortable as she struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits (and not a single walk).

At the plate, Shawnee let Byanca Dubie and Scarlett Crawford run wild. Dubie went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run, while Crawford went 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. Dubie has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times she's played. Maura Simpson was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

Coming up, Russia will face off against Marion Local at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. As for Shawnee, they have already played their next contest, an 11-0 defeat against Minster on the 2nd.