The Springfield Senators will head out to take on the Jacksonville Crimsons at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
Springfield came into their game on Saturday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They lost 15-1 to Edwardsville. The Senators haven't had much luck with the Tigers recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.
Meanwhile, Jacksonville had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.4 runs) and they went ahead and made it six on Saturday. They came out on top against the Blue Devils by a score of 7-4.
Anderson Decker made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 3.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one walk in 13 consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one run and one double.
In other batting news, Brandon Sims was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Joe Reif, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
Jacksonville's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 21-14. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.5 runs over those games. As for Springfield, their loss dropped their record down to 11-22.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Springfield has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Jacksonville struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Springfield might still be hurting after the 8-0 defeat they got from Jacksonville when the teams last played on Tuesday. Can the Senators avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
