The Independence Blue Devils will square off against the Ellet Orangemen at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Independence sitting on eight straight victories and Ellet on seven.
Independence is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Trinity a 21-0 shutout on Wednesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Blue Devils with their most commanding win of the season.
Rabecca Gibson made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Genna Gallucci was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with six RBI, two doubles, and one triple. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Addison Walchanowicz also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen bases of the season.
Independence always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .711. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Ellet made easy work of East on Wednesday and carried off a 20-0 win. Considering the Orangemen have won eight contests by more than nine runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Independence, Ellet also got a great game from a two-way player: Addison Lipply. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over four innings pitched. Lipply was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Ellet got a massive performance out of Carmen Allen, who scored three runs while going 2-for-2. Avery Simmons was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Independence's victory was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-0. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.6 runs over those games. As for Ellet, their record is now 9-3.
Independence's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's game. The Blue Devils have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Ellet, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Independence continue to outrun the ball?
Independence suffered a grim 9-1 defeat to Ellet in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Blue Devils avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
