Baseball Game Preview: Gillespie Miners vs. Vandalia Vandals

For the first time this season, Gillespie will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will host the Vandalia Vandals at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.

Gillespie managed to slip by Alton the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Miners came up short against the Redbirds on Wednesday, falling 10-3.

Nathan Haywood was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one triple and one run. That triple marked the first that he hit this season.

Meanwhile, Vandalia lost 11-3 to Altamont on Thursday. The defeat continues a trend for the Vandals in their meetings with the Indians: they've now lost five in a row.

Vandalia saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Andrew Casey, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.

Gillespie's loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 4-5. As for Vandalia, they now have a losing record of 2-3.

Gillespie came out on top in a nail-biter against Vandalia when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 6-4. Will the Miners repeat their success, or do the Vandals have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.