The Arcola Purple Riders will head out on the road to square off against the Sullivan Redskins at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
On Thursday, Arcola made easy work of Cerro Gordo/Bement and carried off a 9-2 victory. The Purple Riders haven't had any issues with the Broncos recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive win against them.
Kacie Sisk
| 04/24/25 vs Cerro Gordo/Bement | 12 |
| 04/17/25 vs Cumberland | 0 |
| 05/11/24 vs Villa Grove | 9 |
| 05/08/24 @ Heritage | 3 |
| 05/06/24 @ Argenta-Oreana | 4 |
| 05/02/24 @ Urbana | 12 |
Kacie Sisk made a splash while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in May of 2024. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ema Simpson, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Kaydence Nichols was another key player, going 2-for-4 with four RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Sullivan). They blew past Okaw Valley 21-1 on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Redskins, who have now won seven contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Like Arcola, Sullivan also got a great game from a two-way player: Natalie Stinson. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Stinson has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Taylar Mercer and Karson Robinson did most of the damage at the plate: Mercer got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI, while Robinson went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. Those stolen bases were Mercer's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Kylee Freese, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Sullivan kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive games.
Arcola's record is now 6-9. As for Sullivan, their record now sits at 13-8.
Arcola was able to grind out a solid victory over Sullivan in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, winning 8-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Purple Riders since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
