Hearts
| 05/08/25 @ Taylorville | 20 |
| 05/08/25 @ Taylorville | 20 |
| 04/09/25 @ Marshall | 12 |
| 04/22/25 vs Mattoon | 10 |
| 04/28/25 @ Teutopolis | 8 |
20 must be Effingham's lucky number: they beat Taylorville with that score not once but twice on Thursday. The Hearts didn't even let the Tornadoes on the board, marking the Hearts' second-straight 20-0 shutout. The Hearts might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matches by seven runs or more this season.
The result came thanks to Natalie Armstrong's shutout, as she gave up just five hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 14 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Effingham let Saige Althoff and Sidney Donaldson run wild. Althoff went a perfect 5-for-5 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs, while Donaldson went 4-for-6 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. Those four RBI gave Althoff a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Maci Hayes, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Effingham always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .633. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in five consecutive contests.
Effingham's win was their seventh straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-6. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Taylorville, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost 11 of their last 12 games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-17 record this season.
Effingham will venture away from home to face off against Flora at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Taylorville, they will welcome New Berlin at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
