Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond is a perfect 3-0 against Neoga since April of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Knights will look to defend their home field against the Indians at 4:30 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond took a loss when they played away from home last Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Rantoul, sneaking past 4-3. The win continues a trend for the Knights in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won four in a row.
SOPHIA MONTS was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over five innings pitched. MONTS was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base.
ANNA RAWLINS
| 05/02/25 vs Rantoul | 2 |
| 04/24/25 @ Tri-County [Kansas/Shiloh/Oakland] | 1 |
| 04/15/25 vs Sullivan | 1 |
| 04/14/25 @ Cumberland | 1 |
| 04/12/25 @ MacArthur | 1 |
MONTS wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was ANNA RAWLINS, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave RAWLINS a new career-high.
Meanwhile, Neoga had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They had just enough and edged out North Clay/Clay City 6-5.
Like Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond, Neoga also got a great game from a two-way player: Hannah Propst. She struck out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up five earned runs off nine hits (and not a single walk). Propst has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Audrey Kepp was incredible, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Josalyn Brandenburg was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Neoga kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are 2-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond's victory bumped their record up to 10-13. As for Neoga, their win bumped their record up to 5-14.
Neoga's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .356. It's a different story for Neoga, though, as they've only averaged .231. Will they be able to contain Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond's hitters?
Everything went Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond's way against Neoga when the teams last played back in April of 2022, as Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond made off with a 13-1 victory. Will the Knights repeat their success, or do the Indians have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
