Softball Game Preview: Pekin Dragons vs. East Peoria Raiders

Pekin hasn't had much luck against East Peoria recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Dragons will square off against the Raiders at 5:15 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Pekin took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They never let Danville get on the board and left with a 13-0 victory. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Dragons considering their two-run performance the game before.

Zoe Lindahl made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over five innings pitched. 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, going 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Jaeleigh Decker

Runs Batted In (Career)

04/26/25 vs Danville	4
04/22/25 @ Canton	2
04/15/25 @ Morton	2
04/05/25 vs Bloomington Central Catholic	2
03/29/25 vs Kankakee	2

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jaeleigh Decker, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and four RBI. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Bella Benassi was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.

Pekin kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask East Peoria). They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over Galesburg on Monday. The win continues a trend for the Raiders in their matchups with the Silver Streaks: they've now won four in a row.

Pekin moved to 8-6 with that victory, which also ended their three-game losing streak. As for East Peoria, their record is now 12-9.

Pekin couldn't quite get it done against East Peoria when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 12-7. Can the Dragons avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.