The South Ripley Raiders will square off against the Brownstown Central Braves at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
South Ripley barely beat Oldenburg Academy the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Raiders blew past the Twisters 15-5 on Wednesday. The win continues a trend for the Raiders in their matchups with the Twisters: they've now won eight in a row.
Ellie Combs
| 05/21/25 vs Oldenburg Academy | 5 |
| 05/16/25 vs Southwestern | 2 |
| 04/22/24 vs Oldenburg Academy | 2 |
| 05/15/25 @ New Washington | 1 |
| 05/07/25 @ Jac-Cen-Del | 1 |
Ellie Combs was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Combs was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with five RBI, one triple, and one double. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Julia Hilton was incredible, going 1-for-2 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Anna Block, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
South Ripley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .607. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Brownstown Central walked away with it. They came out on top against the Eagles by a score of 6-1 on Tuesday. The victory was familiar territory for the Braves, who have now won five games in a row.
Shyla Steele tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over five innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Brailey Teipen, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. That home run was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooke Meahl, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs.
South Ripley pushed their record up to 10-12 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for Brownstown Central, their win bumped their record up to 15-13.
South Ripley might still be hurting after the 12-0 loss they got from Brownstown Central in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Raiders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
