St. Joseph-Ogden dropped their record down to 19-10 on Thursday, which also ended the team's four-game streak of wins at home. They fell just short of the Tolono Unity Rockets by a score of 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Spartans have suffered since April 24th.
As for Tolono Unity, they are on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 23-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.9 runs on average over those games.
For Tolono Unity's part, Lindy Bates was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off nine hits (and only one walk). Bates has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Grace Bickers was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. That stolen base marked the first that she has snagged this season. Another player making a difference was Shelby Smith, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Coming up, St. Joseph-Ogden will look to defend their home field on Saturday against Meridian at 9:00 a.m. As for Tolono Unity, they are taking a road trip to face off against Illinois Valley Central at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The Rockets' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Grey Ghosts have averaged an impressive 7.5 runs per game this season.
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