The Pittsfield Saukees will challenge the Beardstown Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The last three games Pittsfield has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Pittsfield hadn't beaten Pleasant Hill on the road since April 18, 2017 but that history sure didn't bother them on Tuesday. The Saukees sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 victory over the Wolves.
Emma Wombles spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on seven hits and racked up 12 Ks.
On the hitting side, Lila Simon was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024. Emma Henry was another key player, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Pittsfield kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in four consecutive matchups.
Liberty hit Beardstown with a four-run fourth inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Tigers fell 7-3 to the Eagles. The Tigers have struggled against the Eagles recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.
Bella Palmer made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Beardstown's defeat was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 7-7. As for Pittsfield, their win bumped their record up to 12-3-1.
Beardstown's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Pittsfield hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .369. It's a different story for Beardstown, though, as they've only averaged .257. Will they be able to contain Pittsfield's hitters?
Everything went Pittsfield's way against Beardstown in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Pittsfield made off with a 13-0 victory. Will the Saukees repeat their success, or do the Tigers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
