Softball Recap: Make It Five in a Row for Illini Bluffs

Tigers

Previous 5 Games

04/24/25 vs Hartsburg-Emden	18-0
04/23/25 vs Midwest Central/Illini Central	12-0
04/18/25 vs Athens/Greenview	10-0
04/15/25 vs Eureka	19-4
04/14/25 vs Delavan	10-0

Illini Bluffs had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.8 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Thursday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Hartsburg-Emden Stags an 18-0 shutout. The Tigers' pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last three games.

Illini Bluffs' win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.8 runs over those games. As for Hartsburg-Emden, they are on a 22-game losing streak (dating back to last season) that has dropped them down to 0-12.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Illini Bluffs will challenge Brimfield at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. As for Hartsburg-Emden, they will have a little extra prep time after the loss as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on Riverton at 4:30 p.m. on May 5.