Softball Game Preview: Joaquin Rams vs. Shelbyville Dragons

The Joaquin Rams will challenge the Shelbyville Dragons at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Joaquin sitting on 12 straight victories and Shelbyville on five.

Last Friday, Joaquin made easy work of Timpson and carried off a 9-2 win. The Rams might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 15 games by six runs or more this season.

Meanwhile, Shelbyville earned a 5-2 victory over Timpson on Tuesday.

Lanie Bass made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Carsey Lovell, who went 3-for-4 with three runs and three doubles. That's the most hits she has posted since back in May of 2024.

Shelbyville kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive contests.

Shelbyville's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-8. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Joaquin, their record is now 17-4.

Joaquin was able to grind out a solid win over Shelbyville in their previous matchup back in March, winning 10-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rams since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.