The Arcola Purple Riders will head out to challenge the Altamont Indians at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Arcola is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Arcola had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 14-run drubbing they dealt Blue Ridge on Wednesday. The Purple Riders blew past the Knights 16-2. The Purple Riders might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 15 matchups by six runs or more this season.
Brody Phillips made a big impact no matter where he played. He tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in both of his plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Tanner Thomas
| 05/07/25 vs Blue Ridge | 1 |
| 05/02/25 vs Sullivan | 1 |
| 05/01/25 @ Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond | 1 |
In other batting news, Tanner Thomas was incredible, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one home run the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Jayden Henson-Stice, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
Arcola was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .615. The last time their batting average was this high was back in March of 2024.
Meanwhile, Altamont sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 victory over Dieterich on Friday. The Indians haven't had any issues with the Movin Maroons recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Altamont saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kade Milleville, who went 1-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Arcola's victory was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 18-0. The team's perfect season has a lot to do with their hitting performance: the team's won by an average of 10.3 runs thus far. As for Altamont, their record is now 17-6.
Arcola's speedy runners might be the difference in Saturday's contest. The Purple Riders have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Altamont, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Arcola continue to outrun the ball?
Arcola couldn't quite finish off Altamont in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 and fell 5-3. Can the Purple Riders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
