Normal Community is 0-6 against Pekin since June of 2021 but things could change on Friday. The Ironmen will be taking part in a tournament against the Dragons at 4:30 p.m.
Normal Community is headed into Friday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their ninth straight game dating back to last season on Thursday. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost an 8-7 heartbreaker at the hands of Tolono Unity. That's two games in a row now that the Ironmen have lost by just one run.
Tatum Yokley and Bailey Engel stepped up to the plate in a big way. Yokley scored a run while going 2-for-4, while Engel scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Pekin had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 13 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Monday. They walked away with a 7-2 win over the Knights. While the Dragons didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Zoe Lindahl was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one home run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sarah Baughman, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and two runs. Another player making a difference was Cate Cummings, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Pekin's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games. As for Normal Community, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-6.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Normal Community hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Pekin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 1.6 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Normal Community couldn't quite get it done against Pekin in their previous meeting back in March as they fell 6-3. Can the Ironmen avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
