Carbondale is 1-9 against Mt. Vernon since May of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Terriers will host the Rams at 4:30 p.m. Carbondale is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9 runs per game this season.
While Carbondale didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. Everything went their way against Crab Orchard on Friday as they made off with an 11-3 win. The result was nothing new for the Terriers, who have now won seven contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Eric Kesler
| 04/11/25 vs Crab Orchard | 7 |
| 03/30/24 vs Flora | 5 |
| 03/21/24 @ Nashville | 5 |
| 03/18/25 vs Anna-Jonesboro | 4 |
| 03/14/24 @ Anna-Jonesboro | 2 |
Eric Kesler made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out seven batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Reese Hand was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Brayden Schimpf, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Mt. Vernon was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They took a 7-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of Charleston.
Alex Kiefer was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run while going 3-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Ty Pierce, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Mt. Vernon's loss dropped their record down to 2-9. As for Carbondale, their victory bumped their record up to 7-3.
Mt. Vernon's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Carbondale has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.9 hits per game. It's a different story for Mt. Vernon, though, as they've been averaging 9.4 hits. Given Carbondale's sizable advantage in that area, the Rams will need to find a way to close that gap.
Carbondale was able to grind out a solid win over Mt. Vernon in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, winning 4-1. Do the Terriers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rams turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
