Camp Point Central and Illini West are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2017, but likely not for long. The Panthers will head out to face off against the Chargers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Camp Point Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.
For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last four times Camp Point Central and Monmouth United have met, but the home crowd finally got their W on Thursday. The Panthers fell just short of the Red Storm by a score of 5-4.
Briggs Wiskirchen
| 03/26/25 vs Rushville-Industry | 4 |
| 04/03/25 @ Monmouth United | 3 |
| 04/01/25 vs Pleasant Hill/Western | 3 |
| 03/18/25 vs Triopia/Meredosia-Chambersburg | 3 |
| 03/24/25 vs Beardstown | 1 |
Briggs Wiskirchen was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4. Camp Point Central is 3-1 when Wiskirchen posts three or more hits, but 0-4 otherwise. Caleb Petersen also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Illini West entered their tilt with Quincy on Tuesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They put the hurt on the Blue Devils with a sharp 8-1 win. The Chargers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six games by seven runs or more this season.
Wesley Robertson made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Robertson was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Shawn Watkins Jr., who went 1-for-3 with three RBI and one triple. Another player making a difference was Carter Chapin, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Illini West pushed their record up to 9-1 with the victory, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Camp Point Central, their loss dropped their record down to 3-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Camp Point Central has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Illini West struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Camp Point Central suffered a grim 7-0 defeat to Illini West in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
