The Mt. Vernon Rams will head out to face off against the Carterville Lions at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Mt. Vernon will be strutting in after a victory while Carterville will be coming in after a loss.
Mt. Vernon not only won on Tuesday, but they posted their biggest win since April 22nd (when they won 20-0). They blew past Fairfield 10-3. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Rams' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Taylor DeSmith spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Arwin Wilkey, who went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Paige Watson, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Mt. Vernon was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Carterville faced Glenwood in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Lions took a 6-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Titans. The Lions have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Carterville saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Caidence Phillips, who went 1-for-2 with one home run.
Mt. Vernon's win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 11-9. As for Carterville, their defeat dropped their record down to 22-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Mt. Vernon has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Carterville struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 10.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Mt. Vernon suffered a grim 6-0 defeat to Carterville when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Rams avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
