Baseball Recap: Cissna Park Comes Up Short

Cissna Park had lost seven straight at home, but on Wednesday they dropped their record down to 2-16 to make it eight. They lost 10-4 to the Schlarman Hilltoppers. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Hilltoppers this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 11-1 back in April.

As for Schlarman, with the victory, they broke their seven-game losing streak and moved their record to 5-10. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for their hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.

For Schlarman's part, Marc Villaester was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing seven innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. Villaester has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Miles Crosby, who fired off two home runs, six RBI, and three runs while going 3-for-4. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Liam Billings, who went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two doubles.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Cissna Park will venture away from home to challenge Watseka at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Schlarman, they will face off against Martinsville at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Bluestreaks have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 15.17 runs per game on average), something the Hilltoppers will no doubt try to take advantage of.