The Elida Bulldogs will venture away from home to square off against the Shawnee Indians at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Elida is coming into the match hot, having won their last four games.
Elida's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They were the clear victors by an 8-0 margin over Kenton. Considering the Bulldogs have won five games by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Lilly Sifrit was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two triples, three runs, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Maddie Kill was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Liv Walters, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Elida kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 14 hits in three consecutive matches.
Shawnee hadn't beaten Bath on the road since March 30, 2019 but that history sure didn't bother them on Thursday. The Indians came out on top against the Wildcats by a score of 7-3. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Indians.
Like Elida, Shawnee also got a great game from a two-way player: Riley Rhodes. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. Rhodes was also big at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Anna Menke was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one triple. That triple was her first of the season.
Shawnee's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-5. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Elida, the win also got them back to even at 5-5.
Everything went Elida's way against Shawnee when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Elida made off with a 12-1 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bulldogs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
