Illini West had lost five straight on the road, but on Thursday they dropped their record down to 17-8 to make it six. They fell just short of the Macomb Bombers by a score of 4-3. The Chargers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Bombers apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in May of 2024.
Nick Johnson was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double. That double was his first of the season.
As for Macomb, the win (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 10-13. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games.
On Macomb's side, they let Nick Elbe and Drew Watson run wild. Elbe went 2-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI, while Watson went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases and one run. That's the most doubles Elbe has posted since back in March of 2024. Jake Ogle was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
Looking ahead, Illini West will head out to take on Havana at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The Ducks have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 6.58 runs per game on average), something the Chargers will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Macomb, they will look to defend their home field on Friday against East Moline United at 4:30 p.m. The Bombers' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Panthers have averaged an impressive 6.6 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
