The Rock Falls Rockets will head out on the road to challenge the Newman Central Catholic Comets at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Rock Falls will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.
Rock Falls is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Prophetstown a 15-0 shutout on Monday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
Ethan Mathews was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. Mathews was also big at the plate, scoring three runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, Austin Castaneda was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. That stolen base was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Mason Landes, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI.
Rock Falls always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .576. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Newman Central Catholic waltzed into their contest on Monday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They blew past the Storm 11-1. 11 seems to be a good number for the Comets as the team scooped up a win with the same number of runs in their previous game.
The team relied heavily on Ashton Miner, who scored a run while going 2-for-2. Garret Matznick was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Newman Central Catholic's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-1-1. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Rock Falls, the victory got them back to even at 3-3-1.
Tuesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Rock Falls hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .352. However, it's not like Newman Central Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .321. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Rock Falls couldn't quite get it done against Newman Central Catholic when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 6-2. Can Rock Falls avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
