The Rock Island Rocks will head out to face off against the Kewanee Boilermakers at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Rock Island barely beat Quincy the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Rocks put the hurt on the Blue Devils with a sharp 14-7 win on Tuesday. Considering the Rocks have won nine matchups by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Mallory Hudnall
| 05/13/25 @ Quincy | 2 |
| 05/10/25 @ Minooka | 1 |
| 05/02/25 vs Neuqua Valley | 1 |
| 04/29/25 vs Sterling | 1 |
| 04/12/25 vs Hononegah | 1 |
Rock Island got a massive performance out of Mallory Hudnall, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Those two runs gave Hudnall a new career-high. AJ Lincoln was another key player, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with three runs and one double.
Rock Island always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .523. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Quincy only posted an OBP of .300.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Kewanee, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Hall a 10-0 shutout on Tuesday.
Kalleigh Gale was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over six innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in 16 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Addy Yepsen, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs. Lyric Duytschaver also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Kewanee has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-13 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Rock Island, their record is now 19-9.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Rock Island hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .313. However, it's not like Kewanee struggles in that department as they've averaged .358. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Rock Island couldn't quite finish off Kewanee in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 and fell 4-2. Can the Rocks avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
