Winona hasn't had much luck against Van Buren recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Wildcats will face off against the Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. Winona has given up an average of 18.9 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Winona is headed into Monday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their 15th straight game dating back to last season on Monday. They came up short against Ellington, falling 17-2.
Winona saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Lexi Crider, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last match, Van Buren made sure to put some runs up on the board against Bakersfield on Thursday. The Bulldogs came out on top in a nail-biter against the Lions, sneaking past 14-13. The Bulldogs' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Elli Lewis made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched 5.1 innings while giving up four earned (and four unearned) runs off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-5. She also brought in an RBI, marking her first of the season.
In other batting news, Van Buren got a massive performance out of Payton Sonsoucie, who scored three runs and stole four bases while going 4-for-5. Those runs marked the first that Sonsoucie scored this season. Katelyn Warner was another key player, going 3-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Van Buren was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .432. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
The win got Van Buren back to even at 2-2. As for Winona, their loss dropped their record down to 0-8.
Winona suffered a grim 15-0 defeat to Van Buren when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Wildcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
