Salina Central hasn't had much luck against Eisenhower recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Mustangs will venture away from home to square off against the Tigers at 4:00 p.m. Salina Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.6 runs per game this season.
Salina Central will bounce into Friday's contest after beating Goddard, who they had gone 1-7 against in their eight prior meetings. The Mustangs had just enough and edged out the Lions 9-7. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Mustangs.
Sophia Johnson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and five unearned) runs on seven hits.
Charlotte Gordon
| 04/22/25 vs Goddard | 3 |
| 03/28/25 vs Junction City | 2 |
| 03/25/25 @ Clay Center/Wakefield | 2 |
| 04/22/25 vs Goddard | 1 |
| 04/18/25 @ South | 1 |
On the hitting side, Salina Central let Harper Turpin and Charlotte Gordon run wild. Turpin went 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one double, while Gordon went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Those three hits gave Gordon a new career-high. Valerie VanZant was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Salina Central hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Eisenhower never let their opponents score on Thursday. They blew past Dodge City 17-0. The Tigers have beaten the Demons the last four times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Demons has come to flipping the script.
Breckin Reicks was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Reicks was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kylie Hahn, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Emilee George, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
Salina Central pushed their record up to 11-3 with the victory, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Eisenhower, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
Salina Central couldn't quite get it done against Eisenhower in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 as they fell 3-0. Can the Mustangs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
