Pekin hasn't had much luck against Dunlap recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Dragons will take on the Eagles at 4:15 p.m. The match will give Pekin their first taste of in-conference action this season.
Last Thursday, Pekin didn't have quite enough to beat Peoria Notre Dame and fell 3-2.
Garrett Frampton was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out six batters over six innings while giving up three earned runs off six hits.
On the hitting side, Brady Bolen was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run.
Meanwhile, Dunlap got the win against Madison West on Saturday by a conclusive 13-3. Considering the Eagles have won five contests by more than seven runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Isaac Babbs looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Christian Ferrari was a standout: he scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Eli Michanicou was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI, one run, and one double.
Dunlap was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .409. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Dunlap is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Pekin, their loss dropped their record down to 5-4.
Pekin suffered a grim 10-2 defeat to Dunlap in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Dragons avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
