The Sterling Golden Warriors will take on the Rock Island Rocks at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
On Tuesday, Sterling got the win against Quincy by a conclusive 10-2. The win continues a trend for the Golden Warriors in their matchups with the Blue Devils: they've now won nine in a row.
Lily Martinez made a splash while hitting and pitching. She tossed seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. Martinez was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Sterling got a big performance out of Lily Cantu, who went 1-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple marked the first that Cantu hit this season. Another player making a difference was Kaity Taylor, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Rock Island hadn't beaten Moline on the road since April 9, 2022 but that history sure didn't bother them on Tuesday. The Rocks blew past the Maroons 7-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Rocks have posted against the Maroons since April 9, 2022.
Maddie Carroll spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up a single earned run in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Mallory Hudnall and AJ Lincoln did most of the damage at the plate: Hudnall scored a run while going 2-for-3, while Lincoln scored a run and stole a base while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave Lincoln a new career-high. Jozie Kerr was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Rock Island kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Moline only managed three hits.
Rock Island's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-2. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.3 runs over those games. As for Sterling, their win bumped their record up to 6-2.
Sterling skirted past Rock Island 2-0 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will the Golden Warriors repeat their success, or do the Rocks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
