The Staunton Bulldogs will face off against the Hillsboro Hiltoppers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
On Friday, Staunton was able to grind out a solid win over Vandalia, taking the game 10-6. The Bulldogs haven't had any issues with the Vandals recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive victory against them.
Staunton let Lilly Bandy and Korryn Keehner run wild. Bandy went 2-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI, while Keehner went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. That's the most RBI Keehner has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Izzy Janus, who went 1-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Hillsboro's found some homefield redemption this week after a overtime loss to Carlinville on Thursday. The Hiltoppers were the clear victors by a 12-1 margin over Father McGivney Catholic.
Anika Camp was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Hillsboro got a massive performance out of Lainey Lessman, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Briley Kirby was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Hillsboro always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .606. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Staunton's win bumped their record up to 16-3. As for Hillsboro, their victory bumped their record up to 7-11.
Staunton took their win against Hillsboro in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 18-4 score. Will the Bulldogs repeat their success, or do the Hiltoppers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
