Baseball Game Preview: Springfield Senators vs. Pleasant Plains Cardinals

The Springfield Senators will head out on the road to take on the Pleasant Plains Cardinals at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Neither Springfield nor Pleasant Plains posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.

Friday just wasn't the day for Springfield's offense. They came up short against Washington on Friday, falling 13-0. Senators fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Panthers since on Friday.

Meanwhile, Pleasant Plains hadn't done well against Sacred Heart-Griffin recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Monday. The Cardinals won by a run and slipped past the Cyclones 2-1. The Cardinals haven't had any issues with the Cyclones recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.

Sean Lowder spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on four hits. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in 13 consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Pleasant Plains' victory was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Charlie Severino, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double.

Pleasant Plains' win was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 22-5. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.6 runs on average over those games. As for Springfield, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost six of their last eight contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 7-14 record this season.