The Oakwood Comets will head out to face off against the Casey-Westfield Warriors at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Oakwood has given up an average of 6.7 runs per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Oakwood will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run on Tuesday, then bounced right back against Milford on Wednesday. The Comets came out on top against the Bearcats by a score of 17-12. With that victory, the Comets brought their scoring average up to 6.4 runs per game.
Irene Rangel made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up five earned (and seven unearned) runs off eight hits. Those 14 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was even better at the plate, going 3-for-5 with four runs, two stolen bases, and three RBI.
| 04/16/25 @ Milford | 3 |
| 03/22/25 @ Georgetown-Ridge Farm | 2 |
| 04/17/24 vs Heritage | 2 |
| 04/15/24 @ Hoopeston | 2 |
| 04/06/24 @ Paxton-Buckley-Loda | 2 |
In other batting news, Oakwood let Caydence Vermillion and Bella Bradford run wild. Vermillion went 3-for-5 with three doubles, three RBI, and two runs, while Bradford went 4-for-5 with three runs, three doubles, and two RBI. Those three runs gave Bradford a new career-high. Avery Trimmell also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Oakwood always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .533. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Casey-Westfield had already won 11 in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.7 runs) and they went ahead and made it 12 on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Maroons an 8-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Warriors, who have now won 14 matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
Ava Goble was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in ten consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Anna Karras and Allyson Truelove did most of the damage at the plate: Karras went 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base, while Truelove went 1-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. Karras has been hot for a while, having posted at least one stolen base the last nine times she's played. Another player making a difference was Tristan Ring, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
The win got Oakwood back to even at 7-7-1. As for Casey-Westfield, their victory was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 18-1.
Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Oakwood hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .338. However, it's not like Casey-Westfield struggles in that department as they've averaged .468. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Oakwood suffered a grim 15-1 defeat to Casey-Westfield in their previous meeting back in April of 2018. Can the Comets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
