Baseball Recap: Illini Bluffs Continues Home Dominance on Tuesday

Illini Bluffs came tearing into Tuesday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Peoria Heights Patriots 11-1. That result was just more of the same for these two, as the Tigers also won the last time the pair played back in April of 2024.

Will Giftos spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on six hits and racked up 11 Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Toby Cooper was incredible, going 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. Brendan Bacon was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.

Tigers

Previous Games (Home)

05/06/25 vs Peoria Heights	11-1
05/02/25 vs Princeville	15-6
04/30/25 vs Midwest Central	8-2
04/29/25 vs Delavan	3-1
04/23/25 vs Knoxville	14-4
+ 3 more games

Illini Bluffs' win was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-5. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Peoria Heights, they are on a 14-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-16.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Illini Bluffs will venture away from home to face off against Havana at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. As for Peoria Heights, they will square off against Illini West at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.