The Auburndale Eagles will take on the Eleva-Strum Cardinals at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Auburndale 3.1, Eleva-Strum 2.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Auburndale took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They blew past Neillsville 13-3. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won 13 matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Breleigh Grimm was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Chesney Nagel, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run.
Auburndale hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Eleva-Strum challenged Blair-Taylor on Tuesday. The Cardinals fell 5-1 to the Wildcats.
Ruby Bartholomew put in work while hitting and pitching. She struck out ten batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Bartholomew wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Maddea Brown, who went 1-for-3 with one run.
Auburndale pushed their record up to 18-4 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.1 runs on average over those games. As for Eleva-Strum, their loss dropped their record down to 10-7.
Eleva-Strum's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Auburndale hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .381. It's a different story for Eleva-Strum, though, as they've only averaged .193. Will they be able to contain Auburndale's hitters?
Auburndale skirted past Eleva-Strum 2-0 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Will the Eagles repeat their success, or do the Cardinals have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
