| 05/06/25 - Home | 6-3 W |
| 05/09/24 - Home | 20-1 W |
| 05/02/24 - Away | 13-3 W |
| 05/04/23 - Home | 10-1 W |
| 04/13/23 - Away | 4-0 W |
| + 4 more games |
Red Bud has gone a perfect 9-0 against Sparta recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Musketeers will square off against the Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. Red Bud is coming into the match hot, having won their last four games.
On Wednesday, Red Bud made easy work of DuQuoin and carried off a 9-1 victory. Considering the Musketeers have won seven contests by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Kendra Ehret spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ava Wagner, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with four stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April of 2024. Peyton Kreher was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and one RBI.
Red Bud was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .414. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .400 or higher in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Sparta, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Steeleville on Wednesday, sneaking past 5-4. The win was some much needed relief for the Bulldogs as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Ruth Pillers was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run. Kenzie Pierce also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Red Bud pushed their record up to 16-6 with the victory, which was their seventh straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Sparta, their record now sits at 9-14.
Sparta's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Red Bud has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Sparta, though, as they've been averaging only 2.6 strikeouts. Will Red Bud keep running through batters, or will the Bulldogs buck the trend?
Red Bud beat Sparta 6-3 in their previous matchup on Tuesday. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Musketeers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
