Hillsboro had lost four straight on the road, but on Friday they dropped down to 11-8 to make it five. They came up short against the Festus Tigers, falling 9-2. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last six times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Cody Reese was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run.
As for Festus, they have been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 14 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.1 runs on average over those games.
On Festus' side, Jackson Smith made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out 12 batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits (and only one walk). Smith has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run. That's the most doubles he has posted since back in March of 2025.
In other batting news, Cale Schaumburg was excellent, going 1-for-2 with one home run and three RBI. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season. Cooper Schilly was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs.
Looking ahead, Hillsboro will challenge Northwest at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Festus, they will take on North County at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
