Freeburg is 2-8 against Belleville East since May of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Midgets will head out to challenge the Lancers at 4:30 p.m.
Freeburg fell victim to Alton and their airtight pitching crew on Saturday. They fell just short of the Redbirds by a score of 2-0. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since April 9, 2022, but that streak is no more.
Freeburg got a good showing from Alex Fritz, who tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Meanwhile, Belleville East came tearing into Sunday's game with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Longhorns 11-0. The Lancers' pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last three contests.
Luke Monroe was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two hits in eight consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one triple and one run.
In other batting news, Nasir Fares was excellent, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple was his first of the season. Angus Gartland was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double.
Belleville East kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in four consecutive matches.
Belleville East pushed their record up to 11-3 with the win, which was their sixth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.7 runs over those games. As for Freeburg, their loss dropped their record down to 5-4.
Freeburg couldn't quite finish off Belleville East in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 and fell 3-1. Can the Midgets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
