The Mt. Zion Braves will square off against the Athens Warriors at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Mt. Zion is coming into the match hot, having won their last four games.
Mt. Zion barely beat Effingham the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Braves put the hurt on the Hearts with a sharp 9-3 victory on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Braves, who have now won four games by six runs or more so far this season.
Nikki Ellegood
| 04/08/25 @ Effingham | 5 |
| 04/07/25 vs Monticello | 2 |
| 03/31/25 @ Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg | 1 |
| 03/27/25 vs Maroa-Forsyth | 1 |
| 05/21/24 vs Decatur Eisenhower | 4 |
| + 5 more games |
Nikki Ellegood made a big impact no matter where she played. She tossed seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. What's more, she posted five strikeouts, the most she's had since back in May of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Savannah Beiler, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4. That's the most runs she has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Chloe Williams, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Athens fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Maroa-Forsyth on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Trojans by a score of 9-8. The defeat continues a trend for the Warriors in their meetings with the Trojans: they've now lost eight in a row.
Kenzie Szoke 2026 led a balanced group of hitters, going 4-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and three doubles. The team also got some help courtesy of Preslie Buckmaster 2027, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.
Mt. Zion's win bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Athens, they now have a losing record of 3-4.
Mt. Zion took their victory against Athens when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 8-1 score. Do the Braves have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Warriors turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
