The Cowan Blackhawks will take on the Shenandoah Raiders at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Cowan is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They never let Muncie Central get on the board and left with a 15-0 win on Wednesday. The Blackhawks haven't had any issues with the Bearcats recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Savannah Hall made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Hall was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and one double. That double was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Taylor Young, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four runs, and four RBI. She also hit two doubles, marking her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Candice Matson, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Cowan kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Shenandoah strolled into their game on Wednesday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over Adams Central.
Shenandoah got a massive performance out of Tarran Mills, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 4-for-4. That's the most stolen bases Mills has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaelyn Castor, who scored two runs while going 3-for-3.
Shenandoah's win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-0. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Cowan, they picked up their first home win, bumping their record up to 2-4.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Cowan has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .456. However, it's not like Shenandoah struggles in that department as they've averaged .486. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cowan might still be hurting after the 13-3 defeat they got from Shenandoah in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will the Blackhawks have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
