The Mattoon Greenwave will face off against the Arthur-Okaw Christian Conquering Riders at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Wednesday, Mattoon needed a bit of extra time to put away Richland County. They came out on top against the Tigers by a score of 8-5. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since May 2, 2018, but that streak is no more.
Hanna Griffin spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on 12 hits and racked up six Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Mj Cowger and Kenna Karnes did most of the damage at the plate: Cowger went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Karnes got on base in three of her five plate appearances with two RBI and one run. That's the most RBI Karnes has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Kynlee McGraw, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Arthur-Okaw Christian entered their tilt with Tri-County [Kansas/Shiloh/Oakland] on Tuesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Titans. That looming 12-2 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Conquering Riders yet this season.
Elsie Beever made a splash no matter where she played. She tossed five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. Beever was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, Avery Herschberger was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base. Brooke Herschberger was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one run.
Arthur-Okaw Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .516. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Arthur-Okaw Christian's win bumped their record up to 5-3. As for Mattoon, their victory bumped their record up to 8-14.
