Carterville has gone a perfect 9-0 against Vienna recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Lions will square off against the Eagles at 4:30 p.m. Vienna took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Carterville, who comes in off a win.
Carterville's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They didn't even let Johnston City on the board, marking the Lions' second-straight 10-0 shutout. Considering the Lions have won five games by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Caidence Phillips
| 04/01/25 vs Johnston City | 10 |
| 03/28/25 vs Paducah Tilghman | 9 |
| 03/27/25 vs Marengo | 16 |
| 03/26/25 vs Chester | 13 |
| 03/22/25 @ Effingham | 11 |
Caidence Phillips was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Colbie Bennett was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024. Sofia Badiu also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Carterville was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .450. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Johnston City only posted a batting average of .062.
Meanwhile, Vienna might've scored the first runs on Tuesday, but it was Massac County who claimed the real prize. The Eagles took a 6-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Patriots. Eagles fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Patriots since on Tuesday.
Alli Vinson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and two unearned) runs on six hits.
At the plate, Rayonna Ridley was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Anniston Steinmann, who went 1-for-4 with one triple and one RBI.
Carterville's win was their 21st straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-2. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.6 runs on average over those games. As for Vienna, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-8 record this season.
Vienna's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Carterville has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Vienna, though, as they've been averaging only 1.9 strikeouts. Will Carterville keep running through batters, or will the Eagles buck the trend?
Everything went Carterville's way against Vienna in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, as Carterville made off with a 10-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lions since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
