Baseball Game Preview: Salem Wildcats vs. Richland County Tigers

The Salem Wildcats will head out on the road to challenge the Richland County Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Salem's hitters haven't had much luck over their past three matchups, but Thursday's contest will give them a chance to turn things around.

On Tuesday, Salem narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Mattoon 2-1. That's two games straight that the Wildcats have won by just one run.

Rhett Detering

Batters Struck Out

05/20/25 vs Mattoon	10
03/26/25 vs Charleston	10
03/31/25 @ St. Anthony	9
04/15/25 vs East Alton-Wood River	7
05/09/25 vs Columbia	6
+ 6 more games

Rhett Detering spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up ten Ks. He is becoming a predictor of Salem's success: when he posts at least eight strikeouts the team is undefeated (and 10-13 when he doesn't).

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Ryan Detering, who went 1-for-2 with one home run. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season.

Meanwhile, Richland County fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Mt. Vernon on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Rams by a score of 12-11. The Tigers' loss continues a trend for the squad, making it three in a row.

Owen Cycholl was cooking despite his team's loss, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Carter Blank, who went 2-for-4 with two runs.

Richland County's defeat dropped their record down to 10-15. As for Salem, the win got them back to even at 13-13.

Salem skirted past Richland County 3-2 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Wildcats since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.