The Sycamore War Eagles will take on the Northeast Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Sycamore's pitching crew has only allowed 3.1 runs per game this season, so Northeast's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Sycamore is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Creek Wood just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Monday. They fell just short of the Red Hawks by a score of 3-1. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last six times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Owen McMahan was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out ten batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. What's more, he gave up only three walks, the fewest he's had since back in March.
At the plate, Sycamore saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Bradley Hudgens, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Northeast and West Creek faced off in a cross-town battle on Monday. The Eagles put the hurt on the Coyote with a sharp 8-2 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Eagles.
Isaiah Robinson made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out eight batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off seven hits (and only one walk). He is becoming a predictor of Northeast's success: when he posts at least eight strikeouts the team is 2-1 (and 8-13 when he doesn't). Robinson was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Jackson Meece was a standout: he scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-5. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in doubles (two). Jamarion Green was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Northeast kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.4 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 9.6.
Northeast pushed their record up to 10-14 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Sycamore, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-7.
Sycamore took their victory against Northeast in their previous matchup back in February of 2024 by a conclusive 13-2 score. Will the War Eagles repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
