The Normal Community Ironmen will square off against the Centennial Chargers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Normal Community will be looking to extend their current eight-game winning streak.
If Normal Community beats Centennial with six runs on Monday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matches with that exact score. The Ironmen walked away with a 6-1 win over Rock Island on Saturday.
Tyler Swanson looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
Max Heineman
| 04/12/25 @ Rock Island | 3 |
| 04/11/25 @ Champaign Central | 1 |
| 04/10/25 vs Champaign Central | 2 |
| 04/08/25 @ Peoria Notre Dame | 1 |
| 04/07/25 vs Danville | 2 |
| + 5 more games |
At the plate, Max Heineman was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run and one stolen base. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Kyle Beaty, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Centennial, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They came out on top against Peoria Notre Dame by a score of 8-5 on Friday.
Cal Meyers made a splash while hitting and pitching. He tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. He has become a key player for Centennial: the team is 6-2 when he posts at least two runs, but 1-4 otherwise.
Meyers wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Tate Sauer, who scored a run while going 1-for-2. Dylan Keene was another, going 1-for-4 with three RBI and one double.
Centennial is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 7-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games. As for Normal Community, they pushed their record up to 9-3 with the win, which was their third straight on the road.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Normal Community has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .468. However, it's not like Centennial struggles in that department as they've averaged .459. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Normal Community took their victory against Centennial in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 12-5 score. Will the Ironmen repeat their success, or do the Chargers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
