The Routt Catholic Rockets will be staying on the road on Wednesday to face off against the Illini Bluffs Tigers at 4:30 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Routt Catholic: 3.2, Illini Bluffs: 2.3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Routt Catholic is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They were the clear victor by an 11-2 margin over Triopia/Meredosia-Chambersburg/Virginia. The result was nothing new for Routt Catholic, who have now won 19 games by six runs or more so far this season.
Eli Olson made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out six over five innings pitched. Olson was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
In other pitching news, AJ Charpentier looked comfortable as he tossed an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Nolan Turner, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, a triple, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Bryson Mossman, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-4.
Meanwhile, Illini Bluffs entered their tilt with Monmouth United with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They had just enough and edged the Red Storm out 2-1.
Josh Vaughn spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered one run (which was unearned) on one hit and racked up 18 Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in seven consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Illini Bluffs saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Grant Cruit, who scored a run while going 1-for-1.
Routt Catholic is on a roll lately: they've won 17 of their last 19 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 29-7 record this season. As for Illini Bluffs, their victory bumped their record up to 15-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Routt Catholic has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Illini Bluffs struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.7. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Routt Catholic took their win against Illini Bluffs in their previous matchup back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 12-4. Will Routt Catholic repeat their success, or does Illini Bluffs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
