Chicago Hope Academy will venture away from home to take on the Lane Tech Champions at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The last four games Chicago Hope Academy has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Tuesday just wasn't the day for Chicago Hope Academy's offense. They wound up with the same score they had in their last game (2-0), but sadly the team found themselves on the wrong side of the score this time. Their loss signaled the end of their nine-game winning streak.
Cesar Marquez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on five hits and racked up six Ks.
On the hitting side, Chicago Hope Academy saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Davian Villalobos, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Lane Tech entered their tilt with Ogden International on Wednesday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over Ogden International.
Bennett Levinson looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Conor Sullivan was a standout: he went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Henry Murray was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Lane Tech was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .536. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Lane Tech pushed their record up to 19-9 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Chicago Hope Academy, the defeat was their first at home , dropping their record down to 20-8.
Chicago Hope Academy couldn't quite get it done against Lane Tech in their previous meeting back in May of 2023 as they fell 4-1. Can Chicago Hope Academy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
