Baseball Game Preview: South Beloit Sobos vs. Ashton-Franklin Center Raiders

The South Beloit Sobos will face off against the Ashton-Franklin Center Raiders at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The last three games South Beloit has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

South Beloit is headed into the match having just suffered their closest defeat since April 20, 2024 on Thursday. They fell just short of Harvest Christian Academy by a score of 9-7.

South Beloit saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Richard Carlson, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.

Meanwhile, it may have taken nine innings to finish the job, but Ashton-Franklin Center ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They came out on top against Amboy by a score of 8-4. Winning may never get old, but the Raiders sure are getting used to it with their fourth in a row.

Chase Near was excellent, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Brody Ellis, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-5.

Ashton-Franklin Center kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive contests.

Ashton-Franklin Center pushed their record up to 8-2 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs over those games. As for South Beloit, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-4 record this season.

South Beloit suffered a grim 13-3 defeat to Ashton-Franklin Center in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will the Sobos have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.