East Alton-Wood River hasn't had much luck against Breese Central recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Oilers will head out on the road to take on the Cougars at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with 11 defeats in a row, East Alton-Wood River turned things around against Litchfield on Wednesday. They had just enough and edged out the Purple Panthers 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Oilers have posted since March 25th.
Ellie Beachum
| 05/07/25 vs Litchfield | 12 |
| 05/06/25 vs Breese Central | 9 |
| 05/05/25 vs Freeburg | 8 |
| 05/03/25 @ Alton | 5 |
| 04/29/25 @ Freeburg | 7 |
Ellie Beachum spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, East Alton-Wood River let Jayde Kassler and Lily Tretter run wild. Kassler went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and one RBI, while Tretter went 1-for-2 with two RBI and one run. That's the most RBI Tretter has posted since back in April.
Breese Central came out on top against East Alton-Wood River on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run sixth inning. The Cougars put the hurt on the Oilers with a sharp 8-2 victory. The Cougars haven't had any issues with the Oilers recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive win against them.
Breese Central also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Lily Lappe gave up just two earned runs on four hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Cece Toennies, who went 1-for-3 with one home run. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Madison Ahle, who went 2-for-5 with two RBI and one run.
Breese Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as East Alton-Wood River only managed four hits.
Breese Central's victory bumped their record up to 6-18. As for East Alton-Wood River, their win bumped their record up to 9-12.
East Alton-Wood River suffered a grim 8-2 defeat to Breese Central when the teams last played on Tuesday. Can the Oilers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
