South Ripley is 0-10 against Rising Sun since May of 2019 but things could change on Monday. The Raiders will head out on the road to square off against the Shiners at 5:30 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, South Ripley beat Southwestern 9-5. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Raiders.
Ellie Combs made a splash while hitting and pitching. She pitched seven innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits. Combs was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Julia Hilton, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Abriah Hogg, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Rising Sun waltzed into their game on Saturday with 12 straight wins... but they left with 13. They put the hurt on the Mustangs with a sharp 18-2 victory. The Shiners might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 contests by six runs or more this season.
Like South Ripley, Rising Sun also got a great game from a two-way player: J'Lynn Rodriguez. On the mound, she pitched five innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Rodriguez has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Tamryn Miller was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Hannah Kremer also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Rising Sun kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 20 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in ten consecutive matchups.
Rising Sun's win was their 19th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 14-3. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.2 runs over those games. As for South Ripley, their record now sits at 9-11.
South Ripley might still be hurting after the 6-0 defeat they got from Rising Sun when the teams last played back in April. Can the Raiders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
