Carterville has gone 9-1 against Anna-Jonesboro recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Wednesday. The Lions will head out on the road to face off against the Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Carterville sitting on three straight victories and Anna-Jonesboro on 12.
Carterville is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past Herrin 13-2 on Monday. Considering the Lions have won six games by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Caidence Phillips
| 04/07/25 vs Herrin | 9 |
| 04/01/25 vs Johnston City | 10 |
| 03/28/25 vs Paducah Tilghman | 9 |
| 03/27/25 vs Marengo | 16 |
| 03/26/25 vs Chester | 13 |
| 03/22/25 @ Effingham | 11 |
Masyn Kries and Caidence Phillips were a major factor no matter where they played. On the mound, Kries pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Phillips struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. At the plate, Kries went a perfect 1-for-1 with one triple, two RBI, and one run, while Phillips scored a run while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Colbie Bennett, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. That's the most runs she has posted since back in May of 2024. Savannah Gibbs also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Carterville was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Anna-Jonesboro got the win against Benton on Tuesday by a conclusive 16-1. The result was nothing new for the Wildcats, who have now won 11 matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Like Carterville, Anna-Jonesboro also got a great game from a two-way player: Ruby Yates. On the mound, she struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and not a single walk). Yates was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Kansas Craig was incredible, firing off two home runs, four runs, and four RBI while going 3-for-3. Another player making a difference was Emma Craig, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Carterville pushed their record up to 7-2 with the win, which was their 22nd straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games. As for Anna-Jonesboro, their record now sits at 12-0.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Carterville has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Anna-Jonesboro struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Carterville took their win against Anna-Jonesboro when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 6-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lions since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
