The Macomb Bombers will take on the East Moline United Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
East Moline United will take on a team with plenty of momentum: Macomb extended their winning streak to four on Thursday. The Bombers came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 4-3 W against Illini West. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Macomb let Nick Elbe and Drew Watson run wild. Elbe went 2-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI, while Watson went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases and one run. That's the most doubles Elbe has posted since back in March of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Jake Ogle, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for East Moline United, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They won by a run and slipped past Quincy 10-9. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Panthers' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Issac Roman was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run over 4.1 innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in 14 consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Zach Darras was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one double. Another player making a difference was Landon Skiles, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with three RBI, one run, and one double.
East Moline United was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .433. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Quincy only posted a batting average of .300.
East Moline United has been performing well recently as they've won 14 of their last 17 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-9 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.4 runs over those games. As for Macomb, their win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-13.
Macomb might still be hurting after the 12-2 defeat they got from East Moline United in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Will the Bombers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
