The Villa Grove Blue Devils will head out to face off against the Casey-Westfield Warriors at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Villa Grove is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
Villa Grove is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Rantoul just ended the team's ten-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell 9-6 to the Eagles.
Hayden Thomas made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Amijah Riggleman, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Casey-Westfield entered their tilt with Fairfield on Friday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They had just enough and edged out the Mules 3-1.
Arhianna Bonds spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on three hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Casey-Westfield's victory was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Ella Whitacre, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. Hannah Schackmann was another, going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Casey-Westfield's win bumped their record up to 28-4. As for Villa Grove, their loss dropped their record down to 19-12.
Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Villa Grove hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .342. However, it's not like Casey-Westfield struggles in that department as they've averaged .405. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
