The Frankfort Redbirds will face off against the Century Centurions at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Frankfort will be strutting in after a victory while Century will be coming in after a loss.
Frankfort made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Trico, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Frankfort put the hurt on Trico with a sharp 13-7 win on Thursday. Considering the Redbirds have won four matchups by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Annabelle Hopkins spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and three unearned) runs on 11 hits and racked up seven Ks. That's the fewest hits she has allowed since back in April of 2024.
At the plate, Keaton Bates and Reese James did most of the damage at the plate: Bates went 3-for-4 with five RBI and one run, while James scored four runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. That's the most RBI Bates has posted since back in March of 2024. Makayla Joyner was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
Frankfort always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .537. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Trico only posted an OBP of .294.
Meanwhile, Century fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Massac County on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Patriots by a score of 8-6. The Centurions have struggled against the Patriots recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.
Jaylee Vanmeter put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed 5.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off five hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Baylea Crain made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. She also put up an RBI, which was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Allie Sauerbrunn, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
The victory made it two in a row for Frankfort and bumps their season record up to 5-1. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Century, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-2.
Frankfort was able to grind out a solid victory over Century in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, winning 5-1. Does Frankfort have another victory up their sleeve, or will Century turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.