The Normal University Pioneers will venture away from home to face off against the East Peoria Raiders at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Normal University will be strutting in after a win while East Peoria will be coming in after a loss.
While Normal University's victory against Lexington wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Pioneers sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-7 win over the Minutemen on Friday. The Pioneers haven't had any issues with the Minutemen recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Normal University got a great performance from Makenzie Post as she struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off six hits (and not a single walk). Post has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Emmerson Steward, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted over her last 14 matches. Lola Phillips was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Meanwhile, East Peoria unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Thursday. They lost 8-2 to Metamora. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Raiders have suffered since April 5, 2024.
East Peoria's loss dropped their record down to 10-9. As for Normal University, their win bumped their record up to 9-10.
Normal University skirted past East Peoria 3-2 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Pioneers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
