The Alleman Pioneers will face off against the Mercer County Golden Eagles at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Alleman made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Orion, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Alleman blew past Orion 19-3 on Thursday. The game was the first time the Pioneers have beaten the Chargers on their field since May 12, 2017.
Sydnee Ganahl
| 03/27/25 @ Orion | 4 |
| 03/25/25 vs Riverdale | 3 |
| 05/14/24 @ Rockridge | 1 |
| 05/13/24 vs Monmouth-Roseville | 3 |
| 05/09/24 vs Galesburg | 1 |
| + 7 more games |
Sydnee Ganahl made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits. What's more, she posted four strikeouts, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, Alleman got a massive performance out of Rhylee McMeekan, who fired off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while going 4-for-4. Those two home runs gave McMeekan a new career-high. Lyla Possin was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs.
Meanwhile, Mercer County put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. They put the hurt on Illini West with a sharp 8-1 win. Eight seems to be a good number for the Golden Eagles as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Alivia Gillespie spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on seven hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Elsie Cook was incredible, scoring three runs while going 3-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Kelsie Weeks, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and one RBI.
Mercer County kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits every time they've taken the field this season.
Mercer County pushed their record up to 4-0 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 11.8 runs this season. As for Alleman, the win got them back to even at 2-2.
