The Shelbyville Rams will head out on the road to challenge Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Having struggled with 14 losses in a row, Shelbyville turned things around against Taylorville on Wednesday. They blew past the Tornadoes 14-4. The Rams' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
The team relied heavily on Kenzie Jones, who went 1-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April. Kyndall Bennett also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg made easy work of Cumberland on Tuesday and carried off a 10-1 victory. The result was nothing new for Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg, who have now won 15 matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
Kendra Hayes and Samantha Hayes made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Hayes pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Samantha struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Kendra has been consistent: she hasn't given up a single earned run in five consecutive appearances. At bat, Hayes went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs, while Samantha went 2-for-3 with three runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Clarissa Johnson was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Mya Friese, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .424. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Cumberland only posted a batting average of .200.
Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg's win was their 18th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 23-5. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.1 runs over those games. As for Shelbyville, the win was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 2-15.
Shelbyville took their victory against Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg in their previous meeting back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 11-2 score. Will the Rams repeat their success, or do Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
