Golden Bears
| 04/08/25 @ Bloomington North | 7 |
| 04/07/25 @ East Central | 3 |
| 04/01/25 vs Seymour | 4 |
| 03/31/25 @ Monrovia | 20 |
The Shelbyville Golden Bears will square off against the Columbus North Bull Dogs at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Shelbyville is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.5 runs per game this season.
On Tuesday, Shelbyville needed a bit of extra time to put away Bloomington North. They came out on top against the Cougars by a score of 7-3 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game). The victory continues a trend for the Golden Bears in their matchups with the Cougars: they've now won five in a row.
Gracie Crafton spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on six hits and racked up ten Ks. Those hits marked the first that she allowed this season.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Addison Stieneker, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-5. That stolen base marked the first that she snagged this season. Destiney Johnson was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Stieneker wasn't the only one making solid contact: Shelbyville kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bloomington North only managed six hits.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Columbus North, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand East Central an 11-0 shutout on Wednesday.
Bailee Scruggs made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out six over five innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Lily Retz and Morgan Jarvis did most of the damage at the plate: Retz went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs, while Jarvis scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-3. Those two runs gave Retz a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Payton Morris, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2.
Shelbyville's win bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Columbus North, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Shelbyville hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .368. However, it's not like Columbus North struggles in that department as they've averaged .347. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Shelbyville couldn't quite get it done against Columbus North in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 as they fell 4-0. Will the Golden Bears have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
