Illini West and Mercer County are an even 3-3 against one another since March of 2017, but likely not for long. The Illini West Chargers will head out on the road to square off against the Mercer County Golden Eagles at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Illini West is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt want to keep things rolling.
Illini West put the finishing touches on their third blowout victory of the season on Friday. They put the hurt on Bushnell-Prairie City with a sharp 6-0 victory.
Nick Johnson made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks). Johnson was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Shawn Watkins Jr., who went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Stephen Sparks, who went 1-for-2 with a stolen base and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Mercer County came up short against Hamilton on Tuesday and fell 12-8.
Illini West's win bumped their record up to 4-0. As for Mercer County, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-2.
Illini West took their victory against Mercer County when the teams last played back in March of 2023 by a conclusive 10-0. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Mercer County's Kellan King, who tossed four innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off three hits (he also only allowed one walk). Now that he won't be playing on Thursday, will it be that much easier for Illini West to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
