Softball Game Preview: Gayville-Volin Raiders vs. Vermillion Tanagers

The Gayville-Volin Raiders will square off against the Vermillion Tanagers at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

While Gayville-Volin's win against Avon wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Raiders had just enough and edged out the Pirates 9-7. The victory continues a trend for the Raiders in their matchups with the Pirates: they've now won five in a row.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Vermillion). Their pitcher stepped up to hand Wagner an 18-0 shutout on Monday. With that win, the Tanagers brought their scoring average up to 6.7 runs per game.

Dylyn Wagner was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over five innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kara Chapman, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, four runs, and four RBI. That home run was her first of the season. Ally Peterson was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and two RBI.

Vermillion always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wagner only posted an OBP of .150.

Gayville-Volin's victory bumped their record up to 9-4. As for Vermillion, their win bumped their record up to 4-5.