The Providence Pioneers are on the road again on Saturday to play the Illiana Christian Vikings at 4:30 p.m. Both teams have allowed few runs on average, (Providence: 3.7, Illiana Christian: 3.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Providence is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 win over Greencastle. That's two games straight that Providence has won by just one run.
Jack Beyl made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over 6.1 innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. Beyl has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. Beyl was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Luke Kruer, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with a home run and two runs.
Meanwhile, Illiana Christian stacked a 16th blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Saturday. They were the clear victor by a 12-2 margin over Rochester. The victory was familiar territory for Illiana Christian who now have seven in a row.
Tanner Post spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, Illiana Christian let Jake Scott and Isaac VanderWoude loose on the outfield. Scott went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI, while VanderWoude went 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Luke Smith, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI and a double.
Providence is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 12 games, which provided a nice bump to their 21-7 record this season. As for Illiana Christian, their win bumped their record up to 21-9.
Saturday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Providence has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .458. However, it's not like Illiana Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .493. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
