Baseball Game Preview: Prairie Central Hawks vs. Paxton-Buckley-Loda Panthers

Prairie Central and Paxton-Buckley-Loda are an even 3-3 against one another since May of 2016, but likely not for long. The Hawks will venture away from home to square off against the Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Prairie Central is coming into the game on a three-game losing streak.

Friday just wasn't the day for Prairie Central's offense. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of Tolono Unity on Friday.

Collin Hartman

Batters Struck Out

04/25/25 vs Tolono Unity	6
04/17/25 @ Rantoul	8
04/03/25 vs Monticello	6
03/27/25 @ El Paso-Gridley	10
03/22/25 vs Clifton Central	5
03/17/25 @ Coal City	5

Collin Hartman spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on seven hits and racked up six Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.

Meanwhile, Paxton-Buckley-Loda lost 9-3 to Monticello on Thursday.

Paxton-Buckley-Loda saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kayden Vance, who went 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI.

Paxton-Buckley-Loda has also traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 10-7 record this season. As for Prairie Central, their loss dropped their record down to 5-14.