North County hasn't had much luck against Festus recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Raiders will square off against the Tigers at 4:30 p.m. North County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.5 runs per game this season.
North County fell victim to Valley Park and their airtight pitching crew on Saturday. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Hawks. The shutout was out of character for the Raiders seeing as the last time the team failed to score was back in March.
North County got a good showing from Will Weible, who pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, Weible gave up only three walks, the fewest he's had since back in March.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Festus, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 9-2 margin over Hillsboro on Friday. Considering the Tigers have won 11 games by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Jackson Smith was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out 12 batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run. That's the most doubles he has posted since back in March of 2025.
In other batting news, Cale Schaumburg was excellent, going 1-for-2 with one home run and three RBI. That home run was his first of the season. Cooper Schilly was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs.
Festus is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 14 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-5 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.1 runs on average over those games. As for North County, their loss dropped their record down to 16-6.
North County came up short against Festus when the teams last played last Friday, falling 5-2. Can the Raiders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
