vs
| 06/11/21 - Away | 5-0 W |
| 04/21/21 - Home | 10-0 W |
| 05/06/16 - Home | 5-2 W |
| 04/07/16 - Away | 6-3 W |
Normal University is a perfect 4-0 against Eureka since April of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Pioneers will host the Hornets at 6:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Normal University is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Illinois' top teams: Sacred Heart-Griffin, who was ranked 21st at the time (Normal University was ranked 16th). The Pioneers lost 16-10 to the Cyclones on Thursday. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Pioneers, who until this contest were averaging 2.45 runs allowed.
Rhett Lynch led a balanced group of hitters, going 2-for-4 with four RBI and two doubles. Parker Roop was another key player, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with three runs.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Eureka, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Monday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Pontiac a 10-0 shutout on Wednesday. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Hornets' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Teagan McLaughlin was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Eureka is 4-2 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 9-13 otherwise. McLaughlin was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Brody Wertz looked comfortable as he tossed 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. What's more, he posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Adam Blunier, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three doubles, and three RBI. Those three doubles gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of John Martin, who went 1-for-3 with one triple and one run.
Eureka was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They are 4-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Normal University's defeat ended a six-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 24-5. As for Eureka, with the victory, they broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 13-15.
Normal University beat Eureka 5-0 in their previous meeting back in June of 2021. Will the Pioneers repeat their success, or do the Hornets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
