The Zeigler-Royalton Tornadoes will venture away from home to face off against the Herrin Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Zeigler-Royalton's pitching crew has only allowed 2.6 runs per game this season, so Herrin's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Zeigler-Royalton blew Marion out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Tuesday Marion got their revenge. The Tornadoes fell just short of the Wildcats by a score of 3-1. The contest marked the Tornadoes' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.
Zeigler-Royalton saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Landen Butler, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Herrin duked it out with Anna-Jonesboro on Tuesday. The Tigers' pitcher stepped up to hand the Wildcats a 3-0 shutout. The victory was some much needed relief for the Tigers as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Not much got past Chance Estes, who gave up just a hit and racked up eight Ks to keep Anna-Jonesboro off the board. Estes also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Herrin is 3-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 2-4 otherwise.
The win got Herrin back to even at 5-5. As for Zeigler-Royalton, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-2.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Zeigler-Royalton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .431. However, it's not like Herrin struggles in that department as they've averaged .432. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Zeigler-Royalton was able to grind out a solid victory over Herrin in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, winning 5-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tornadoes since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
