Urbana is 0-4 against Triad since April of 2017 but things could change on Wednesday. The Hillclimbers will venture away from home to face off against the Cardinals at 5:00 p.m. Urbana will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
Urbana came out on top against Tecumseh on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run sixth inning. The Hillclimbers walked away with a 6-3 win over the Arrows.
Kevin Endres spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on four hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Colton Lafferty, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run. Ronnie Weimer was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, Triad came into Friday's match having lost 12 straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. Everything went their way against Greenon on Friday as they made off with an 8-0 victory. The Cardinals' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
JJ Roberts made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 11 over seven innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in May of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with three RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Wyatt Smith was excellent, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2024. Adler Perry also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Urbana's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-9. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Triad, their record now sits at 2-12-1.
Urbana came up short against Triad in their previous meeting back in April of 2021, falling 10-5. Can the Hillclimbers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
