The Forreston Cardinals are taking a road trip to challenge the South Beloit Sobos at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Forreston is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.8 runs per game this season.
On Thursday, Forreston was able to grind out a solid win over Dakota, taking the game 5-2. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Cardinals.
Brendan Greenfield
| 04/24/25 @ Dakota | 6 |
| 04/12/25 @ East Dubuque | 3 |
| 04/08/25 @ Durand/Pecatonica | 2 |
| 04/05/25 @ Winnebago | 2 |
| 04/03/25 vs Amboy | 4 |
| + 3 more games |
Brendan Greenfield was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off seven hits (and not a single walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one triple and two RBI. That triple was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Connor Politsch was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Carson Akins, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one RBI.
Meanwhile, South Beloit had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Thursday. They beat the Conquerors by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 11-1. The result was nothing new for the Sobos, who have now won six games by eight runs or more so far this season.
Like Forreston, South Beloit also got a great game from a two-way player: JT Sanders. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over six innings pitched. Sanders was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gage Pasiecznik, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Jonah Martinez, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
South Beloit pushed their record up to 11-4 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.7 runs over those games. As for Forreston, their record is now 16-4.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Forreston hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .315. However, it's not like South Beloit struggles in that department as they've averaged .319. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Forreston took their victory against South Beloit in their previous meeting back in March of 2015 by a conclusive 17-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cardinals since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
