The Vandalia Vandals will take on the Pana Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Vandalia's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They blew past Ramsey 17-0. The Vandals have beaten the Rams the last six times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Rams has come to flipping the script.
Mady McCall made a splash while hitting and pitching. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over four innings pitched. McCall was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two RBI.
In other batting news, Madison Lupton was a standout: she got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Elaina Hagy, who went 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBI.
Vandalia always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .639. The last time their OBP was this high was back in April.
Meanwhile, Pana entered their tilt with Litchfield on Monday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They were the clear victors by a 13-1 margin over the Purple Panthers.
Like Vandalia, Pana also got a great game from a two-way player: Joey Laker. On the mound, she tossed five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Laker has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Shelby Ashcraft, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Izzy Reed was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Vandalia's win bumped their record up to 7-16. As for Pana, their victory bumped their record up to 13-10-1.
Wednesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Vandalia hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .317. However, it's not like Pana struggles in that department as they've averaged .321. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
