The Chester Yellowjackets will take on the Steeleville Warriors at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Chester will come into the matchup with an undefeated record on the line.
Chester had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the ten-run drubbing they dealt Shawnee on Monday. Chester was the clear victor by a 12-2 margin over Shawnee.
Avery Hasemeyer made a splash while hitting and pitching. She pitched six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. That's the fewest earned runs she has allowed since back in April of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-5. What's more, she posted two RBI, the most she's had since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Kady Grau was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one stolen base. That home run marked the first that she launched this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Elaina Lutman, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-4.
Chester 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 ten hits in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Steeleville unfortunately couldn't capitalize on their home-field advantage in their season opener. They came up short against Pinckneyville on Wednesday, falling 14-1. The defeat continues a trend for the Warriors in their meetings with the Panthers: they've now lost six in a row.
Steeleville saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Corinne Mueller, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.
Chester pushed their record up to 5-0 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Steeleville, their loss dropped their record down to 0-1.
Everything went Chester's way against Steeleville when the teams last played back in March of 2024, as Chester made off with a 23-7 win. Will Chester repeat their success, or does Steeleville has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
