Blue Devils
| 04/07/25 @ Blue Ridge | 10 |
| 04/03/25 vs Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg | 1 |
| 04/01/25 vs Georgetown-Ridge Farm | 7 |
| 03/31/25 @ Salt Fork | 4 |
| 03/27/25 @ Paxton-Buckley-Loda | 16 |
| 03/26/25 vs Urbana | 11 |
The Villa Grove Blue Devils will head out on the road to face off against the Shawnee Redskins at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Villa Grove is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
Villa Grove will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run last Thursday, then bounced right back against Blue Ridge on Monday. The Blue Devils were the clear victors by a 10-2 margin over the Knights. The victory continues a trend for the Blue Devils in their matchups with the Knights: they've now won four in a row.
Piper Kiser was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off six hits. Kiser was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. What's more, she posted two home runs, the most she's had since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, Hayden Thomas and Olivia Jones did most of the damage at the plate: Thomas scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2, while Jones went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one run. Thomas has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Madison Hinds, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
Villa Grove kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Blue Ridge only managed eight hits.
Meanwhile, Shawnee was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They lost 15-1 to Zeigler-Royalton.
Shawnee saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Eliza Ford, who scored a run while going 1-for-2. Aniston Nicholson also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Villa Grove's record is now 4-2. As for Shawnee, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-5.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Villa Grove hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .320. However, it's not like Shawnee struggles in that department as they've averaged .322. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
