The Argenta-Oreana Bombers are taking a road trip to face off against the Mt. Zion Braves at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Mt. Zion will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: Argenta-Oreana extended their winning streak to six on Thursday. The Bombers blew past Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond 10-1.
Elyssa Armstrong spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on six hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Gracie Manning, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one double. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Angelina Madrigal, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
Argenta-Oreana was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .452. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .333 or higher in six consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Mt. Zion got themselves on the board against Decatur Eisenhower on Thursday, but Decatur Eisenhower never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 19-0 win. The Braves' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Nikki Ellegood made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Ellegood was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Ella Fink was a standout: she went a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Chloe Williams also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Argenta-Oreana pushed their record up to 12-10 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for Mt. Zion, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-6 record this season.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Argenta-Oreana hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .335. However, it's not like Mt. Zion struggles in that department as they've averaged .400. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Argenta-Oreana couldn't quite get it done against Mt. Zion in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 as they fell 5-0. Can the Bombers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
