Earlville hasn't had much luck against South Beloit recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Red Raiders will challenge the Sobos at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Earlville beat Indian Creek 10-5. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Red Raiders.
The team relied heavily on Austin Todd, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Aaden Browder was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, South Beloit never let their opponents score on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Lincoln Academy as they made off with a 7-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Sobos, who have now won seven games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Richard Carlson made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 21 over seven innings pitched. Those 21 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one triple, one stolen base, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Cesar Alfaro was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
South Beloit has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-6 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for Earlville, their record now sits at 5-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Earlville has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like South Beloit struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Earlville couldn't quite get it done against South Beloit in their previous meeting back in March as they fell 5-0. Can the Red Raiders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
