The Shenandoah Raiders will challenge the Mississinawa Valley Blackhawks at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Shenandoah is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.2 runs per game this season.
Shenandoah fought the good fight in their extra-innings match against Alexandria-Monroe on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Tigers by a score of 3-2. Having soared to a lofty 18 runs in the game before, the Raiders couldn't push the score so high this time.
Olivia Watson
| 05/02/25 vs Alexandria-Monroe | 9 |
| 04/29/25 vs Daleville | 11 |
| 04/28/25 vs Tri | 11 |
| 04/26/25 vs Hagerstown | 11 |
| 04/23/25 @ Blackford | 10 |
| + 4 more games |
Olivia Watson spent all nine innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on four hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Aleyna Sharritts was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Mississinawa Valley). They put the hurt on Randolph Southern with a sharp 19-6 victory on Wednesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Blackhawks with their most commanding win of the season.
Ella Godfrey made a big impact no matter where she played. She tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Godfrey was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with four stolen bases and four runs. Those four stolen bases gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Gentry Newbauer and Stephany De La Torre did most of the damage at the plate: Newbauer got on base in four of her five plate appearances with four stolen bases, two runs, and one double, while De La Torre got on base in three of her five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those four stolen bases gave Newbauer a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Emma Brock, who went 1-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.
Mississinawa Valley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. They are 3-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
The win made it two in a row for Mississinawa Valley and bumps their season record up to 8-10. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Shenandoah, their loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 9-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Shenandoah has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Mississinawa Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 11.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
