The Arcola Purple Riders will face off against the Altamont Indians at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Arcola's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They blew past Blue Ridge 17-0. The Purple Riders haven't had any issues with the Knights recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Brevyn Whisman
| 05/06/26 @ Blue Ridge | 2 |
| 05/04/26 vs Unity Christian | 1 |
| 04/29/26 vs Neoga | 1 |
| 04/13/26 @ Heritage | 1 |
| 03/30/26 vs Marshall | 1 |
Brevyn Whisman made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out seven batters over 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Arcola is 3-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 5-8 otherwise. Whisman was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Arcola let Jackson Griffith and Brody Phillips run wild. Griffith got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI, while Phillips got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two triples, three runs, and one stolen base. Griffith is becoming a predictor of Arcola's success: when he posts at least one home run the team is 2-1 (and 6-8 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Kaden Hohlbauch, who went 1-for-2 with four RBI and one run.
Arcola kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Altamont got the win against Dieterich on Friday by a conclusive 6-0. Considering the Indians have won ten games by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Kade Milleville was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out nine over seven innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Brayden Elam was excellent, going 1-for-4 with one home run. Reed Stuemke was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI.
Arcola's win bumped their record up to 8-9. As for Altamont, their victory bumped their record up to 19-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Arcola has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Altamont struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Arcola skirted past Altamont 1-0 when the teams last played back in May of 2025. Do the Purple Riders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Indians turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
