Redbirds
| 05/19/26 vs Richwoods | 13 |
| 05/18/26 vs Dunlap | 3 |
| 05/14/26 @ Illinois Valley Central | 12 |
| 05/13/26 vs East Peoria | 2 |
| 05/11/26 @ East Peoria | 1 |
| + 25 more games |
Metamora is 2-8 against Dunlap since May of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Redbirds will face off against the Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Metamora is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Metamora was handed a heart-breaking two-run defeat in their last matchup, but they sure didn't let that happen against Richwoods on Tuesday. The Redbirds were the clear victors by a 13-4 margin over the Knights. The Redbirds' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Brady Jones made a splash while hitting and pitching. He tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
In other pitching news, Benjamin Cronkhite looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (five).
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Cole Smith, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Dylan Nee, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Metamora kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in three consecutive games.
Metamora typically has all the answers at home, but on Monday Dunlap proved too difficult a challenge. They skirted past the Redbirds 5-3. The win continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Redbirds: they've now won five in a row.
Carter Lippens spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on nine hits and racked up ten Ks.
On the hitting side, Dunlap saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brett Alkire, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Dunlap's victory bumped their record up to 25-6. As for Metamora, their win bumped their record up to 23-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Metamora has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Dunlap struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Metamora couldn't quite finish off Dunlap in their previous meeting on Monday and fell 5-3. Can the Redbirds avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
