Herscher is on a six-game streak of home wins, while Manteno is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Tigers will welcome the Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Herscher 3.4, Manteno 3.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Herscher's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Saturday. They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over Prairie Central. Considering the Tigers have won 12 matches by more than six runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Herscher got a great performance from Reed Laird as he didn't allow a single earned run over 5.1 innings pitched. Laird has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Cam Baker was excellent, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run and one RBI. Gaige Brown was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Manteno won against Streator on Monday with five runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Tuesday. The Panthers came out on top against the Bulldogs by a score of 5-2.
Jake Wendling made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Wendling was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March.
In other pitching news, Nolan Canfield tossed a big game, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April of 2024.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Tyler Buehler, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Andrew Norred, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Herscher has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 11 of their last 12 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 23-4 record this season. As for Manteno, their win bumped their record up to 15-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Herscher has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Manteno struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Herscher beat Manteno 6-3 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Will the Tigers repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
