Illini West has enjoyed the comforts of home their last four games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will face off against the Augusta Southeastern Suns at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Illini West is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.8 runs per game this season.
In what's become a running theme this season, Illini West gave their fans yet another huge win on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Havana with a sharp 11-1 victory.
Illini West got a great performance from Reece Shoup as he struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). Shoup has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Stephen Sparks was a standout: he went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Carter Chapin was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, it was a hard-fought matchup, but Augusta Southeastern had to settle for a 10-9 loss against Quincy Notre Dame on Wednesday. Augusta Southeastern has not had much luck with Quincy Notre Dame recently, as the team's come up short the last two times they've met.
Jarrett Van Beck was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs. Another player making a difference was Carson Kerr, who scored two runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Illini West's win bumped their record up to 18-4. As for Augusta Southeastern, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-10.
Augusta Southeastern's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Illini West has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.7 hits per game. It's a different story for Augusta Southeastern, though, as they've been averaging 9.2. Given Illini West's sizable advantage in that area, Augusta Southeastern will need to find a way to close that gap.
Illini West took their victory against Augusta Southeastern in their previous meeting back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 17-1. Will Illini West repeat their success, or does Augusta Southeastern have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
