The Randolph Southern Rebels will challenge the Shenandoah Raiders at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Randolph Southern has now lost nine straight, leaving the team hunting for their first win since April 2.
Randolph Southern fought the good fight in their extra-innings match against Mississinawa Valley on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Blackhawks by a score of 6-4.
Bryson Grimes was huge no matter where he played even without the win. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. Furthermore, he didn't allow a single earned run, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in May of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
In other batting news, Trenton Gullett made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Trenton Jeffries also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Shenandoah, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They walked away with a 6-3 win over Daleville on Tuesday. The Raiders haven't had any issues with the Broncos recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Like Randolph Southern, Shenandoah also got a great game from a two-way player: Drew Fredenburg. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. Fredenburg has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, earning one RBI, one run, and one stolen base.
Fredenburg wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Ezra Byrd, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one run.
Shenandoah hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Daleville struck out eight times.
Shenandoah pushed their record up to 8-3 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Randolph Southern, their loss dropped their record down to 1-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Randolph Southern has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Shenandoah struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Randolph Southern might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Shenandoah when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Rebels have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
