The Northeast Bearcats will face off against the South Shelby Cardinals at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Northeast is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.7 runs per game this season.
South Shelby is facing Northeast at the wrong time: Northeast suffered their first home loss of the season on Thursday and they're likely out for redemption. They fell 7-3 to the Bulldogs.
Olivia Cross spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and six unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Kylee Dodge made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one home run. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Jaycee David, who went 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
South Shelby couldn't beat Clark County on Thursday even though they stacked four runs on them in the third inning. The Cardinals fell just short of the Indians by a score of 6-4.
Kylie Million was huge no matter where she played even without the win. She tossed seven innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off three hits. Million was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, Bella Cook was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Kinley Maddex was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Northeast's defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 14-5. As for South Shelby, their loss dropped their record down to 1-14.
South Shelby's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Northeast hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .352. It's a different story for South Shelby, though, as they've only averaged .193. Will they be able to contain Northeast's hitters?
Everything went Northeast's way against South Shelby in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as Northeast made off with an 11-5 win. Do the Bearcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cardinals turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
