Waterloo hasn't had much luck against O'Fallon recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Bulldogs will look to take advantage of their home field for the first time this season as they take on the Panthers at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Waterloo is coming home in high spirits after they had to open their season on the road against Murphysboro. The Bulldogs were the clear victors by a 25-2 margin over the Red Devils on Saturday. The win was nothing new for the Bulldogs as they're now sitting on five straight dating back to last season.
Cannon Richard looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, Austin Martin was incredible, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with four runs, four RBI, and one double. Drake Luedeman was another key player, going 3-for-4 with four runs, three RBI, and one stolen base.
Waterloo always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .619. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Murphysboro only posted an OBP of .368.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but O'Fallon ultimately got the result they hoped for on Saturday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Oak Park-River Forest, sneaking past 9-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Panthers have posted since May 20, 2025.
Aiden Dunlap looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched.
At the plate, O'Fallon got a big performance out of Will Vanderheyden, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Sam McCollum, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
