The Peoria Christian Chargers will head out on the road to take on the Deer Creek-Mackinaw Chiefs at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Peoria Christian is coming into the game on a four-game losing streak.
On Monday, Peoria Christian came up short against Heyworth and fell 7-3.
Amarian Sidles was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Austin Pavelka, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Deer Creek-Mackinaw was not the first on the board on Tuesday, but they got there more often. They came out on top against Williamsville by a score of 7-2. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Chiefs.
Chase Noe spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on three hits and racked up eight Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Shane Correll was excellent, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April. Chuck Hathaway was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
Peoria Christian's loss dropped their record down to 8-13. As for Deer Creek-Mackinaw, their victory bumped their record up to 13-15.
Peoria Christian's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's match. The Chargers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Deer Creek-Mackinaw, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Peoria Christian continue to outrun the ball?
Peoria Christian took their win against Deer Creek-Mackinaw in their previous matchup back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 12-2 score. Do the Chargers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Chiefs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
