The DuQuoin Indians will face off against the Pinckneyville Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
DuQuoin took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They put the hurt on Benton with a sharp 17-3 win. That 14 run margin sets a new team best for the Indians this season.
Dedrick Melvin spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on three hits and racked up nine Ks. He is becoming a predictor of DuQuoin's success: when he posts at least eight strikeouts the team is 2-1 (and 4-5 when he doesn't).
Max Zimmerman
| 04/07/25 vs Benton | 3 |
| 03/26/24 vs Vernon Hills | 2 |
| 03/28/25 vs Civic Memorial | 1 |
| 03/22/25 vs Herrin | 1 |
| 03/18/25 @ Marion | 1 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Max Zimmerman, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jaden DeMarie, who scored three runs and stole four bases while going 2-for-2.
DuQuoin always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .606. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Pinckneyville entered their tilt with Trico on Tuesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They walked away with a 7-2 victory over the Pioneers. While the Panthers didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-24), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Brayden Cleland was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Reed Marlow was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
The win got DuQuoin back to even at 6-6. As for Pinckneyville, their record now sits at 6-3.
DuQuoin took their victory against Pinckneyville when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 18-8 score. Do the Indians have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
