Taylorville had lost three straight on the road, but on Monday they dropped their record down to 7-4 to make it four. They fell just short of the Jacksonville Crimsons by a score of 12-11. The Tornadoes were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Crimsons apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in April of 2024.
Colton Gatton was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. That triple was his first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Maxx Grieme, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
As for Jacksonville, the win got them back to even at 9-9. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory they have posted since May 22, 2024.
On Jacksonville's side, Anderson Decker made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Decker has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one walk in eight consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Jacksonville is undefeated when Decker posts one or more home runs, but 6-9 otherwise.
In other batting news, Jacksonville let Brandon Sims and Ethan Kruzan run wild. Sims went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI, while Kruzan got on base in all five of his plate appearances with two runs, one double, and one RBI. Sims is becoming a predictor of Jacksonville's success: when he posts at least one home run the team is 2-1 (and 7-8 when he doesn't). Ryan Headen was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Coming up, Taylorville will welcome Pawnee at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Jacksonville, they will head out to challenge Normal University at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
