Baseball Recap: Blue Ridge Comes Up Short

Blue Ridge extended their losing streak to four on Monday, dropping them down to 1-8. They came up short against the Villa Grove Blue Devils, falling 12-3. The Knights were not able to make up for their loss to the Blue Devils from their previous meeting back in April of 2025.

As for Villa Grove, their record is now 4-8. Their hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.

For Villa Grove's part, Max Wilson made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. Wilson has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one double. That triple was his first of the season.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jackson Gire, who went 1-for-4 with three runs and one stolen base. Villa Grove is 3-1 when Gire posts two or more runs, but 1-7 otherwise. Thomas Vandeventer was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and one double.

We've got plenty of inter-conference action coming up soon. Blue Ridge will square off against rival Okaw Valley at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Meanwhile, Villa Grove is set to face off against their familiar foe Tri-County [Kansas/Shiloh/Oakland] at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.