The Peotone Blue Devils will square off against the Herscher Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Peotone hasn't scored more than two runs for three games straight, a trend the squad is eager to reverse.
Peotone took a six-run loss the last time they faced off against Beecher, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Blue Devils won by a run and slipped past the Bobcats 2-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Blue Devils have posted since April 21st.
Josh Barta
| 04/30/25 vs Horizon Science Academy McKinley Park | 3 |
| 04/15/25 @ Lisle | 3 |
| 03/31/25 @ Manteno | 3 |
| 05/07/25 vs Beecher | 2 |
| 04/25/25 vs Grant Park | 2 |
| + 2 more games |
Josh Barta spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on five hits and racked up seven Ks. He also tossed two walks, which is notable because Peotone is 3-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 6-14 otherwise.
At the plate, Ruben Velasco was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Herscher came out on top against Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run sixth inning. The Tigers walked away with an 11-6 win over the Falcons. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Tigers.
Gavin Nelson looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (three).
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Logan Egerton, who went 4-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. Austin Powell was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base and two RBI.
Herscher kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley only managed seven hits.
Herscher's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 26-5. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.6 runs on average over those games. As for Peotone, their victory bumped their record up to 9-15.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Peotone has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Herscher struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Peotone suffered a grim 17-2 defeat to Herscher in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Blue Devils avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
