vs
| 04/18/25 - Home | 10-0 W |
| 04/12/24 - Away | 8-4 W |
| 04/14/23 - Home | 11-6 W |
| 04/14/22 - Away | 20-0 W |
| 05/10/21 - Home | 15-0 W |
| + 2 more games |
Illini Bluffs is a perfect 7-0 against Athens since April of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Tigers will face off against the Warriors at 4:30 p.m. Illini Bluffs' pitching crew has only allowed 1.8 runs per game this season, so Athens' hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Illini Bluffs had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 16-run drubbing they dealt Delavan on Monday. The Tigers blew past the Panthers 17-1. The game marked the Tigers' most dominant win of the season so far.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Athens, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past PORTA/Ashland-Chandlerville Central 13-11. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Warriors have posted against the Bluejays since April 12, 2022.
Jaci Derringer and Aubrey AJ Crispen did most of the damage at the plate: Derringer went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs, while AJ Crispen fired off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while going 3-for-5. Those two home runs gave AJ Crispen a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Preslie Buckmaster, who went 1-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.
Athens has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Illini Bluffs, their win bumped their record up to 6-3.
Illini Bluffs got the 'W' in their previous meeting back in April of 2025 against Athens by a conclusive 10-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
