The Havana Ducks will take on the Illini Bluffs Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Havana's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Saturday. They walked away with a 5-0 win over Astoria/VIT. The victory continues a trend for the Ducks in their matchups with the Rebels: they've now won eight in a row.
Oscar Jones
| 03/29/25 @ Tremont | 4 |
| 04/19/25 vs Farmington | 3 |
| 04/29/25 @ Brimfield | 2 |
| 03/25/25 @ PORTA/Ashland-Chandlerville Central | 2 |
| 05/03/25 @ Astoria/VIT | 1 |
| + 1 more games |
Not much got past Oscar Jones, who gave up just two hits and racked up eight Ks to keep Astoria/VIT off the board. Jones also tossed a walk, which is notable because Havana is 4-2 when he allows at most one walk, but 3-12 otherwise.
At the plate, Kaden Olson was incredible, going 1-for-3 with one home run and one stolen base. That home run was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Jack Turner, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, Illini Bluffs came tearing into Tuesday's contest with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over the Patriots. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matchups by six runs or more this season.
Will Giftos spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on six hits and racked up 11 Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Toby Cooper, who went 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Brendan Bacon, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Illini Bluffs' win was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-5. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Havana, their win bumped their record up to 7-14.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Havana has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Illini Bluffs struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Havana couldn't quite finish off Illini Bluffs in their previous matchup back in May of 2023 and fell 6-4. Can the Ducks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
