The Granite City Warriors will head out on the road to take on the Collinsville Kahoks at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Granite City has given up an average of 9 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Triad hit Granite City with a nine-run second inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Warriors lost 18-3 to the Knights. The Warriors have struggled against the Knights recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost meeting.
Chloe Randolph was cooking despite her team's loss, firing off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-3. Shelbie Borth also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Collinsville). They blew past Cahokia 16-0 on Monday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Kahoks as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Ali Vieluf was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of her three plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Preslie Thomas was a standout: she went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Audrey Shemwell, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Collinsville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .677. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Collinsville's record is now 7-16. As for Granite City, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-16.
Collinsville's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Granite City hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .319. It's a different story for Collinsville, though, as they've only averaged .254. Will they be able to contain Granite City's hitters?
Everything went Granite City's way against Collinsville in their previous meeting back in April, as Granite City made off with a 14-3 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.