The Hutsonville/Palestine Tigers will take on the Effingham Hearts in a tournament on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Hutsonville/Palestine will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Tuesday, then bounced right back against Martinsville on Thursday. The Tigers put the hurt on the Bluestreaks with a sharp 15-6 victory.
Hayden Monan made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off seven hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base and two RBI.
Brynn Griffin
| 05/08/25 vs Martinsville | 4 |
| 05/06/25 vs Casey-Westfield | 1 |
| 05/02/25 @ Dugger Union | 3 |
| 04/28/25 @ Martinsville | 1 |
| 04/23/25 @ Grayville | 2 |
| + 5 more games |
In other batting news, Brynn Griffin was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, six RBI, and four runs. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Lily Holcomb, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Hutsonville/Palestine kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Martinsville only managed six hits.
Meanwhile, Effingham came tearing into Friday's matchup with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They never let the Panthers get on the board and left with a 10-0 win.
Like Hutsonville/Palestine, Effingham also got a great game from a two-way player: Saige Althoff. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over six innings pitched. Althoff was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Keagyn Koenig, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. Ryley Engel was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run.
Hutsonville/Palestine has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Effingham, their record now sits at 16-6.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Hutsonville/Palestine hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .364. However, it's not like Effingham struggles in that department as they've averaged .364. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hutsonville/Palestine suffered a grim 13-0 defeat to Effingham in their previous matchup back in April of 2018. Can the Tigers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
