Baseball Game Preview: Peoria Christian Chargers vs. Illini Bluffs Tigers

The Peoria Christian Chargers will challenge the Illini Bluffs Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

Peoria Christian managed to slip by ROWVA/Williamsfield the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Chargers lost 13-3 to the Cougars on Thursday.

Gavin Walder made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run. Another player making a difference was Austin Pavelka, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases.

Meanwhile, Illini Bluffs came tearing into Thursday's contest with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.8 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They walked away with a 4-1 win over the Ducks.

Drew Dunn spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on one hit.

At the plate, Illini Bluffs saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Toby Cooper, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run. Cooper has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played. Brendan Bacon was another, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.

Peoria Christian's loss dropped their record down to 8-10. As for Illini Bluffs, their victory bumped their record up to 14-5.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Peoria Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Illini Bluffs struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.