The Springfield Senators will head out on the road to challenge the Pleasant Plains Cardinals at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Springfield's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Pleasant Plains' hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Springfield is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Rochester just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Tuesday. They lost 21-1 to the Rockets. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Senators, who until this game were averaging 3.25 runs allowed.
Pleasant Plains came out on top against North Mac on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run fifth inning. The Cardinals put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 11-2 win.
Anna Nestler was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She tossed seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of her four plate appearances with two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lexie Shimkus, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Peyton Davis was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Pleasant Plains has been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 13 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-8-1 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for Springfield, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-5.
Springfield came out on top in a nail-biter against Pleasant Plains when the teams last played back in April of 2023, sneaking past 3-1. Will the Senators repeat their success, or do the Cardinals have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
