The Roxana Shells will head out on the road to take on the Salem Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Roxana is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8 runs per game this season.
Roxana is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Columbia just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Tuesday. They fell just short of the Eagles by a score of 7-6. Roxana has struggled against Columbia recently, as their game on Tuesday was their sixth consecutive lost matchup.
Calista Stahlhut was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and five unearned) runs off seven hits. Stahlhut has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 15 consecutive pitching appearances. Stahlhut was also big at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a home run and two runs.
In other batting news, Ridley Allen made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Ava Cherry was another key contributor, going 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, while Salem put up some runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for East Alton-Wood River. Salem sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-0 win over East Alton-Wood River.
The team relied heavily on Olivia Paulson, who went 2-for-3 with a home run.
Roxana's defeat dropped their record down to 11-5. As for Salem, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 18-5 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Roxana has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Salem struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.7. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Roxana took their victory against Salem when the teams last played back in April by a conclusive 8-2. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Salem's Breanna Thurman, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Roxana still be able to contain Thurman? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
