The Steeleville Warriors will venture away from home to take on the Red Bud Musketeers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Steeleville 3.6, Red Bud 3.6) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Red Bud will square off against a team with plenty of momentum: Steeleville extended their winning streak to three on Tuesday. The Warriors came out on top against Johnston City by a score of 6-3.
Canon Ruby spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up six Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Cale Newby, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and two runs. Trenton Ingles also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
The home team had come away the winner the last four times Red Bud and Dupo had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Musketeers blew past the Tigers 16-2 on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Musketeers, who have now won three games by 14 runs or more so far this season.
Tyson Bohnert and Blake Henry made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Bohnert struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Henry didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over four innings pitched. At the plate, Bohnert scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-5, while Henry scored a run while going 1-for-5.
In other batting news, Red Bud got a massive performance out of Derrick Whelan, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-2. Those two stolen bases gave Whelan a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jack Roscow, who scored a run while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
Red Bud kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive matches.
Steeleville now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Red Bud, their record is now 6-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Steeleville has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Red Bud struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Steeleville couldn't quite get it done against Red Bud when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 7-2. Can the Warriors avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
