The Cascade Cadets will head out to face off against the Indian Creek Braves at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Cascade comes in on five and Indian Creek on seven.
Six must be Cascade's lucky number: they beat McCutcheon with that score not once but twice on Saturday. The Cadets walked away with a 6-2 win over the Mavericks.
Tara Gruca was excellent, going 3-for-4 with three runs and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Ava Allen, who went 2-for-3 with two runs.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Cascade kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Indian Creek hadn't done well against Martinsville recently (they were 0-6 in their previous six matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Monday. The Braves blew past the Artesians 10-3. The result was nothing new for the Braves, who have now won five matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
Kristen Soots made a big impact no matter where she played. She pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. What's more, she posted five strikeouts, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, one triple, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Corrynne Gregory, who went 1-for-2 with one home run and five RBI. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. Jada Shepard was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Indian Creek's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-2. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Cascade, their record now sits at 11-5.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Cascade hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .399. However, it's not like Indian Creek struggles in that department as they've averaged .318. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cascade took their victory against Indian Creek in their previous meeting back in May of 2019 by a conclusive 6-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cadets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
