South Decatur hasn't had much luck against Jac-Cen-Del recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Cougars will take on the Eagles at 5:00 p.m. South Decatur is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.8 runs per game this season.
South Decatur will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Friday, then bounced right back against Crothersville on Monday. The Cougars' pitcher stepped up to hand the Tigers a 10-0 shutout. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by ten runs or more this season.
Riley Benge
| 05/12/25 vs Crothersville | 13 |
| 04/11/25 vs Milan | 8 |
| 05/05/25 vs Waldron | 7 |
| 05/01/25 @ Waldron | 7 |
| 04/17/25 vs Edinburgh | 5 |
Riley Benge was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. Those 13 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one double.
In other batting news, Dalilah Martin and Daisy Martin did most of the damage at the plate: Dalilah went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Daisy went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That triple marked the first that Dalilah has hit this season. Maddie Shireman was another key player, getting on base in both of her plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
South Decatur kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 19 hits. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Jac-Cen-Del was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their 15th straight defeat dating back to last season. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost an 8-7 heartbreaker at the hands of South Ripley. The game snapped a strange streak: the last five times these teams have met, it?s been the away team that?s taken home the W.
Savannah Steele was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Taylor Swinney, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
South Decatur has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 6-7 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.6 runs over those games. As for Jac-Cen-Del, their loss dropped their record down to 0-14.
South Decatur's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's matchup. The Cougars have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Jac-Cen-Del, though, as they've been averaging only 0.8 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will South Decatur continue to outrun the ball?
South Decatur suffered a grim 16-0 defeat to Jac-Cen-Del when the teams last played back in May of 2023. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
