Clinton dropped to 11-8 on Tuesday, ending the team's three-game streak of wins at home. They fell just short of the Rantoul Eagles by a score of 3-1. Having soared to a lofty 18 runs in the game before, the Maroons couldn't push the score so high this time.
As for Rantoul, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 11-6. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games.
For Rantoul's part, Aiden Cheek was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 11 over 6.2 innings pitched. Cheek has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
Cheek wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Levi Duitsman, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
Looking ahead, Clinton will be playing in front of their home fans against Bloomington Central Catholic at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. As for Rantoul, they will challenge St. Joseph-Ogden at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Spartans' pitching crew has only allowed 2.6 runs per game this season, so the Eagles' hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
