The Pleasant Plains Cardinals will take on the Illini West Chargers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Pleasant Plains comes in on ten and Illini West on four.
While Pleasant Plains' victory against Springfield wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Cardinals narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Senators 7-6.
The team relied heavily on Grady Grisham, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in May of 2024. Charlie Severino was another key player, going 1-for-4 with three RBI and one triple.
Pleasant Plains hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in six consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Illini West never let their opponents score on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over Camp Point Central. Considering the Chargers have won seven contests by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Nick Bruns made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Bruns was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI.
In other pitching news, Max Kinnamon looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Illini West let Stephen Sparks and Wesley Robertson run wild. Sparks went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, four RBI, and one stolen base, while Robertson scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Sparks also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Ethan Carlisle, who scored two runs while going 2-for-2.
Illini West pushed their record up to 10-1 with the victory, which was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for Pleasant Plains, their victory bumped their record up to 10-0.
Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Pleasant Plains hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .319. However, it's not like Illini West struggles in that department as they've averaged .340. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Pleasant Plains' way against Illini West in their previous meeting back in April of 2016, as Pleasant Plains made off with a 13-1 win. Do the Cardinals have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Chargers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
