The Scott County Cardinals will face off against the Taft Eagles at 9:00 a.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Scott County is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another highly-ranked state team: Crescent, who was ranked 11th in their home state at the time (Scott County was ranked third). Scott County was the clear victor by an 11-2 margin over Crescent on Sunday. The result was nothing new for the Cardinals, who have now won ten contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Ada Little
| 03/30/25 vs Crescent | 10 |
| 03/30/25 vs Wheaton North | 10 |
| 03/29/25 vs Loyola Academy | 6 |
Ada Little 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 ten over four innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
In other pitching news, Addison Langley looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. What's more, she gave up only three walks, the fewest she's had since back in May of 2024.
Back at the plate, Scott County got a massive performance out of Lauren Jones, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. Maddie Skibo also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Taft, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They put the hurt on Resurrection with a sharp 14-4 victory last Friday.
Claire Dennewitz spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up 12 Ks. Those 12 strikeouts gave her a new career-high.
On the hitting side, Isabel Dennewitz was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and one stolen base. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Mia Perez was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI.
Taft always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Resurrection only posted an OBP of .455.
The win (which was Scott County's third in a row) raised their record to 11-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Taft, the win got them back to even at 1-1.
