Southwestern won against Carlinville on Thursday with six runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Saturday. The Piasa Birds sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 win over the New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly Vipers. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Piasa Birds have posted since May 15, 2024.
Ian Brantley
| 03/21/25 vs Greenfield/Northwestern | 3 |
| 03/18/25 @ Maryville Christian | 3 |
| 04/26/25 @ New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly | 2 |
| 04/22/25 vs Pana | 2 |
| 04/12/25 @ Calhoun | 2 |
| + 6 more games |
The team relied heavily on Ian Brantley, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Southwestern is 4-2 when Brantley posts two or more runs, but 3-10 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Owen Gray, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Southwestern pushed their record up to 7-12 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 8-9 record this season.
The teams didn't have to wait long for a rematch: New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly beat Southwestern by a score of 7-3 later that day.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
