Baseball Game Preview: Metamora Redbirds vs. Streator Bulldogs

The Metamora Redbirds will venture away from home to take on the Streator Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

The scorekeeper got an easy start on Wednesday as neither Metamora nor Limestone made it on the board until the fifth inning. The Redbirds took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Rockets. The Redbirds' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.

Stephen Petri

Batters Struck Out

05/07/25 vs Limestone	6
04/30/25 vs Pekin	11
04/23/25 @ Canton	6
04/16/25 @ Morton	8
03/28/25 vs Peoria Notre Dame	5
03/21/25 @ Rock Island	10

Stephen Petri spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on six hits and racked up six Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Streator, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. Everything went their way against Lisle on Tuesday as they made off with an 8-2 win. The victory was some much needed relief for the Bulldogs as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.

Streator also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and he was also dialed-in: Clay Christoff gave up just two earned runs on four hits and racked up 12 Ks. Christoff has become a key player for the Bulldogs: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least ten strikeouts, but 8-14 otherwise.

On the hitting side, Cole Winterrowd was excellent, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two RBI and one run. Another player making a difference was Jake Hagie, who went 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI.

Streator's win bumped their record up to 11-15. As for Metamora, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-14.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Metamora has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Streator struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Metamora took their victory against Streator when the teams last played back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 8-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Redbirds since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.