Softball Game Preview: Alton Redbirds vs. Jacksonville Crimsons

The Alton Redbirds will face off against the Jacksonville Crimsons at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Alton took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 14-1 margin over East St. Louis. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Redbirds considering their two-run performance the matchup before.

Gabby Terrell made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Those eight strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.

In other batting news, Alton got a massive performance out of Sophia Hanneken, who went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most hits Hanneken has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Lilly Henkhaus, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.

Jacksonville played against Routt Catholic on Wednesday and won via forfeit.

Alton pushed their record up to 7-19 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Jacksonville, their victory bumped their record up to 9-13-1.