Boilermakers
| 04/24/25 @ Coal City | 3 |
| 04/21/25 @ Lincoln-Way East | 7 |
| 04/19/25 @ Normal Community | 1 |
| 04/16/25 @ Peotone | 22 |
| + 14 more games |
The Bradley-Bourbonnais Boilermakers will square off against the Herscher Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Bradley-Bourbonnais is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.9 runs per game this season.
Bradley-Bourbonnais is returning to their home field after beating Coal City on theirs, despite the fact Coal City has dominated at home this season. The Boilermakers had just enough and edged out the Coalers 3-2. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Boilermakers.
Liam Martin spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Mason Shaul was excellent, going 1-for-4 with one home run.
Meanwhile, Herscher came tearing into Thursday's contest with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.6 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They walked away with a 4-1 victory over the Momence Athletics.
Herscher also got a great performance from Reed Laird as he struck out 12 batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). Those 12 strikeouts gave Laird a new career-high.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Logan Egerton, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double. Another player making a difference was Keegan Andre, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Herscher hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Momence struck out 13 times.
Herscher's win bumped their record up to 18-3. As for Bradley-Bourbonnais, their victory bumped their record up to 13-6.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Bradley-Bourbonnais hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .315. However, it's not like Herscher struggles in that department as they've averaged .354. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Bradley-Bourbonnais took their win against Herscher when the teams last played back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 11-0 score. Do the Boilermakers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tigers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
