The Bartlett Hawks will be playing in front of their home fans against the South Elgin Storm at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Bartlett came out on top against St. Francis on Saturday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run fifth inning. The Hawks were the clear victors by a 7-1 margin over the Spartans. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Hawks.
Vince Yario made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Yario was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Aiden Mertes looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two hits in 13 consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Josh Colaizzi was incredible, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Ryan Raethz, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
South Elgin came out on top against Schaumburg on Saturday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run second inning. The Storm put the hurt on the Saxons with a sharp 10-4 win.
Kyle Iott looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk).
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Krish Patel, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and two doubles. David Kiel was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
South Elgin kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive games.
South Elgin's victory bumped their record up to 23-8. As for Bartlett, their win bumped their record up to 21-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bartlett has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like South Elgin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
