vs
| 04/24/24 - Away | 13-1 W |
| 04/26/23 - Away | 4-0 W |
| 04/24/23 - Home | 8-0 W |
| 05/12/22 - Home | 2-0 W |
| 05/10/22 - Away | 6-3 W |
| + 5 more games |
Normal University is 9-1 against Jacksonville since April of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Pioneers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Crimsons at 4:30 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
On Saturday, Normal University had just enough and edged out Moline 3-2. The victory continues a trend for the Pioneers in their matchups with the Maroons: they've now won six in a row.
Meanwhile, Jacksonville came into Monday's contest having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They won by a run and slipped past Taylorville 12-11. With that win, the Crimsons brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Anderson Decker made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one walk in eight consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Jacksonville let Brandon Sims and Ethan Kruzan run wild. Sims went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI, while Kruzan got on base in all five of his plate appearances with two runs, one double, and one RBI. That's the most runs Kruzan has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Ryan Headen, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Jacksonville kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Taylorville only managed ten hits.
Normal University pushed their record up to 12-3 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games. As for Jacksonville, the victory got them back to even at 9-9.
Normal University took their win against Jacksonville in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 13-1 score. Will the Pioneers repeat their success, or do the Crimsons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
