The Bloomington North Cougars will square off against the Jennings County Panthers at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Bloomington North fought the good fight in their extra-innings match against Shelbyville on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell 7-3 to the Golden Bears. The Cougars haven't had much luck with the Golden Bears recently, as the team has come up short the last five times they've met.
Bloomington North saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kendyl Feutz, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Jennings County). They were the clear victors by a 14-4 margin over Jeffersonville on Wednesday. With that win, the Panthers brought their scoring average up to 6.8 runs per game.
Audrey McDonald looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Ryleigh Sporleder was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI and three runs. Riley Byford was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-5.
Jennings County was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .481. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Jennings County's victory bumped their record up to 4-2. As for Bloomington North, they now have a losing record of 1-2.
Jennings County's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Bloomington North has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9 hits per game. It's a different story for Jennings County, though, as they've been averaging 9.7 hits. Given Bloomington North's sizable advantage in that area, the Panthers will need to find a way to close that gap.
Bloomington North might still be hurting after the 20-0 defeat they got from Jennings County in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will the Cougars have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
