Taylorville is 0-10 against Mt. Zion since April of 2019 but things could change on Saturday. The Tornadoes will look to defend their home field against the Braves at 12:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Saturday.
Taylorville took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 12-1 margin over MacArthur. The win continues a trend for the Tornadoes in their matchups with the Generals: they've now won four in a row.
Hope Kietzman made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Kietzman was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Livia Havera was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. Those runs marked the first that she scored this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Kyleigh Heimsness, who scored a run while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Mt. Zion came tearing into Friday's game with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victors by an 11-2 margin over the Warriors. The result was nothing new for the Braves, who have now won five contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Like Taylorville, Mt. Zion also got a great game from a two-way player: Ella Fink. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Fink was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ana Kanemaru, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. Molly Doolin was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.
Mt. Zion hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive matches.
Mt. Zion pushed their record up to 6-1 with the victory, which was their 14th straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.1 runs on average over those games. As for Taylorville, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-5.
Taylorville might still be hurting after the 11-5 defeat they got from Mt. Zion in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will the Tornadoes have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
