South Beloit has gone a perfect 3-0 against Earlville recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Sobos will be playing in front of their home fans against the Red Raiders at 4:30 p.m. South Beloit is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.9 runs per game this season.
South Beloit was handed a heart-breaking two-run defeat in their last contest, but they sure didn't let that happen against Lincoln Academy on Tuesday. The Sobos' pitcher stepped up to hand Lincoln Academy a 7-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Sobos, who have now won seven matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
Richard Carlson
| 04/08/25 vs Harvest Christian Academy | 5 |
| 03/26/25 vs Milledgeville | 5 |
| 03/21/25 @ Earlville | 2 |
| 03/17/25 vs Harvard | 2 |
| 04/29/25 @ Lincoln Academy | 1 |
| + 4 more games |
Richard Carlson made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 21 over seven innings pitched. He has become a key player for South Beloit: the team is undefeated when he allows at most two hits, but 5-6 otherwise. Carlson was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one triple, one stolen base, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cesar Alfaro, who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Earlville beat Indian Creek 10-5 on Tuesday.
Austin Todd was incredible, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Aaden Browder was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
South Beloit is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight games. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-6 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.5 runs on average over those games. As for Earlville, their victory bumped their record up to 5-9.
Earlville's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: South Beloit has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .438. It's a different story for Earlville, though, as they've only averaged .359. Will they be able to contain South Beloit's hitters?
South Beloit beat Earlville 5-0 when the teams last played back in March. Will the Sobos repeat their success, or do the Red Raiders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
