Metamora and East Peoria are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2019, but likely not for long. The Redbirds will welcome the Raiders at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, Metamora got the win against Streator by a conclusive 9-3. The win continues a trend for the Redbirds in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won three in a row.
Brant Adams made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one RBI.
Cole Smith
| 05/09/25 vs Streator | 3 |
| 04/05/25 @ Champaign Central | 3 |
| 03/18/25 vs Ottawa | 3 |
| 05/07/25 vs Limestone | 2 |
| 04/29/25 @ Normal University | 2 |
| + 12 more games |
In other batting news, Cole Smith was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Metamora's success: when he posts at least three hits the team is 2-1 (and 8-13 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Shae Seals, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, East Peoria won against LaSalle-Peru on Friday with seven runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Saturday. The Raiders beat Normal University by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 7-2. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Raiders.
East Peoria's victory was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was R.J. Duncheon, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and one triple. That's the most runs Duncheon has posted since back in March.
East Peoria pushed their record up to 19-7 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Metamora, their win bumped their record up to 10-14.
Metamora might still be hurting after the 10-2 defeat they got from East Peoria in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Redbirds avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
