Baseball Game Preview: Marion Wildcats vs. Mt. Vernon Rams

The Marion Wildcats will square off against the Mt. Vernon Rams at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Marion will be looking to extend their current nine-game winning streak.

While Marion's victory against Sikeston wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Wildcats sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 win over the Bulldogs on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Mt. Vernon, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Breese Central 6-5. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

The team relied heavily on Nolan Mast, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Ryker Perigo, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.

Marion pushed their record up to 13-4 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.8 runs over those games. As for Mt. Vernon, their win bumped their record up to 5-11.

Marion skirted past Mt. Vernon 4-2 in their previous meeting on April 8th. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Rams have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.