Southwestern and Carlinville are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2017, but likely not for long. The Piasa Birds are taking a road trip to take on the Cavaliers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Carlinville took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Southwestern, who comes in off a win.
Southwestern will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Monday, then bounced right back against Pana on Tuesday. The Piasa Birds were the clear victors by a 13-2 margin over the Panthers. The Piasa Birds not only won on Tuesday, but they posted their biggest win since March 21st (when they won 17-2).
Ian Brantley made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off seven hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high.
Blake Rimbey
| 04/22/25 vs Pana | 2 |
| 04/16/25 vs Marquette Catholic | 1 |
| 04/01/25 vs Civic Memorial | 1 |
| 03/21/25 vs Greenfield/Northwestern | 1 |
In other batting news, Blake Rimbey and Reed Campbell did most of the damage at the plate: Rimbey went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double, while Campbell went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. Those two runs gave Rimbey a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Owen Gray, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI and one run.
Southwestern lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Carlinville was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They lost 13-0 to Gillespie.
Southwestern's victory ended a five-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-12. As for Carlinville, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-9.
Carlinville's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Southwestern hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .318. It's a different story for Carlinville, though, as they've only averaged .202. Will they be able to contain Southwestern's hitters?
Everything went Southwestern's way against Carlinville when the teams last played back in May of 2024, as Southwestern made off with a 10-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Piasa Birds since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
