Baseball Game Preview: Murphysboro Red Devils vs. Pinckneyville Panthers

The Murphysboro Red Devils will head out on the road to square off against the Pinckneyville Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Pinckneyville took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Murphysboro, who comes in off a win.

While Murphysboro's victory against Massac County wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Red Devils had just enough and edged out the Patriots 3-2. The win continues a trend for the Red Devils in their matchups with the Patriots: they've now won three in a row.

Austin Hunter

Earned Runs

03/29/25 @ Goreville	7
03/22/25 vs Waterloo	4
04/14/25 vs Harrisburg	2
04/08/25 @ Herrin	2
03/17/25 vs Hamilton County	2
+ 2 more games

Austin Hunter was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run over six innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Murphysboro is 4-2 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 6-10 otherwise. Hunter was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one home run. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season.

Hunter wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Oliver Kartje, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI. That's the most hits Kartje has posted since back in March.

Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Pinckneyville took on Carterville on Tuesday. The Panthers came up short against the Lions, falling 15-3.

Kolton Smith was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Pinckneyville now has a losing record of 11-12. As for Murphysboro, their record is now 10-12.

Murphysboro took their victory against Pinckneyville in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 13-3 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Red Devils since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.