Carterville is 7-2 against Murphysboro since April of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Lions will host the Red Devils at 4:30 p.m. Carterville is coming into the match hot, having won their last eight games.
Carterville had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the ten-run drubbing they dealt Massac County on Monday. The Lions put the hurt on the Patriots with a sharp 12-2 win. Considering the Lions have won nine games by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Emilyn Ford made a splash no matter where she played. She pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two).
Savannah Gibbs
| 04/14/25 @ Massac County | 3 |
| 04/12/25 vs Carbondale | 2 |
| 03/27/25 vs Marengo | 2 |
| 04/23/24 vs Massac County | 2 |
| 03/20/24 @ DuQuoin | 2 |
In other batting news, Savannah Gibbs was excellent, scoring a run while going 1-for-3. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in RBI (three). Another player making a difference was Kendall Henrikesen, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3.
Carterville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .516. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Massac County only posted an OBP of .333.
Meanwhile, Murphysboro came up short against Harrisburg on Monday and fell 7-4.
Macey Alexander was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run. Kylie Powell also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Carterville pushed their record up to 12-2 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Murphysboro, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-11.
Murphysboro's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Carterville has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.3 hits per game. It's a different story for Murphysboro, though, as they've been averaging 9.1 hits. Given Carterville's sizable advantage in that area, the Red Devils will need to find a way to close that gap.
Carterville came out on top in a nail-biter against Murphysboro when the teams last played back in May of 2024, sneaking past 3-2. Will the Lions repeat their success, or do the Red Devils have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
