Mt. Zion has gone 8-2 against Mattoon recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Braves will look to defend their home field against the Greenwave at 4:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Mt. Zion has three straight victories, Mattoon has seven straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Mt. Zion hadn't beaten St. Joseph-Ogden on the road since April 17, 2019 but that history sure didn't bother them on Wednesday. The Braves blew past the Spartans 13-1. The Braves might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by six runs or more this season.
Ella Fink was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. That double marked the first that she has hit this season.
Addy Rotz
| 04/23/25 @ St. Joseph-Ogden | 7 |
| 04/14/25 vs Beecher | 3 |
| 04/11/25 vs Athens | 3 |
| 05/23/24 vs Danville | 3 |
| 05/11/24 vs Mahomet-Seymour | 3 |
In other batting news, Addy Rotz was incredible, going 2-for-3 with seven RBI, one triple, and one run. Those seven RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Ana Kanemaru, who earned two RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, Mattoon came up short against Marshall on Wednesday and fell 12-7.
Mattoon also got a good showing from Hanna Griffin, who pitched four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits.
On the hitting side, Alana Perez and Aylexis Otto did some serious damage despite the final result: Perez went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double, while Otto went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Kenna Karnes was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
Mt. Zion's win bumped their record up to 11-5. As for Mattoon, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-12.
Mattoon's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Mt. Zion hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .368. It's a different story for Mattoon, though, as they've only averaged .246. Will they be able to contain Mt. Zion's hitters?
Mt. Zion took their victory against Mattoon when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 9-3 score. Will the Braves repeat their success, or do the Greenwave have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
