Freeport had lost four straight at home, but on Tuesday they dropped down to 12-15 to make it five. They came up short against the East Moline United Panthers, falling 11-1. Having soared to a lofty 25 runs in the game before, the Pretzels couldn't push the score so high this time.
Freeport saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brody Stewart, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base.
As for East Moline United, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-13 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.8 runs over those games.
On East Moline United's side, Will Risius made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched six innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits. Risius has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.
In other pitching news, Kuper White looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (two).
Back at the plate, Dominic Stottler was incredible, going 4-for-5 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double. East Moline United is undefeated when Stottler posts three or more hits, but 12-13 otherwise. Cameron Harris was another key player, going 1-for-4 with three stolen bases.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Freeport will face off against Rockford East at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The E-Rabs will aim to continue their four-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last. As for East Moline United, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Rock Island at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Rocks have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 7.15 runs per game on average), something the Panthers will no doubt try to take advantage of.
