The Herrin Tigers will head out on the road to take on the Freeburg Midgets at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Herrin is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Herrin was handed a ten-run defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Monday. They had just enough and edged out Johnston City 11-10.
Reese Elliott and Gigi George did most of the damage at the plate: Elliott got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three stolen bases and one run, while George went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs George has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Madison Monchino, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Herrin was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .407. They are 7-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Freeburg, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. Everything went their way against Alton on Monday as they made off with a 17-2 victory.
Emylee Martin was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two RBI.
In other batting news, Waeltz Aubrey was a standout: she got on base in all three of her plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Another player making a difference was Olivia Joseph, who went 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Freeburg's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-11. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Herrin, their win ended a five-game drought at home and bumped them up to 12-16.
Herrin suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Freeburg when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Tigers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
