Baseball Game Preview: Pekin Dragons vs. Limestone Rockets

Pekin hasn't had much luck against Limestone recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Dragons will venture away from home to face off against the Rockets at 7:00 p.m. Limestone took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Pekin, who comes in off a win.

Pekin barely beat Olympia the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Dragons put the hurt on the Spartans with a sharp 10-1 victory on Friday. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Dragons' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.

Pekin let Owen Sanders and Kolby Stout run wild. Sanders went 3-for-4 with one stolen base and one run, while Stout went 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Those two RBI gave Stout a new career-high. Mason Hess also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.

Pekin kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Limestone came up short against Metamora on Wednesday and fell 6-3.

Evan Daxenbichler made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

Pekin's win ended an 11-game drought on the road and puts them at 5-18. As for Limestone, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-13.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Pekin has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Limestone struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Pekin might still be hurting after the 11-1 loss they got from Limestone when the teams last played back in May of 2025. Can the Dragons avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.