Baseball Recap: West Chicago Has No Trouble Against Larkin

After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Glenbard West, West Chicago was happy to have turned things around on Friday. Everything went their way against the Larkin Royals as they made off with a 14-1 victory. The game marked the Wildcats' most dominant win of the season.

Ashton Aldaco spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on four hits and racked up 12 Ks. He is becoming a predictor of West Chicago's success: when he posts at least eight strikeouts the team is undefeated (and 4-18 when he doesn't).

Ryan Bell

Hits (Career)

05/16/25 @ Larkin	4
05/13/25 vs Elmwood Park	3
05/07/25 @ Streamwood	2
05/08/25 vs South Elgin	1
05/06/25 vs Ridgewood	1

At the plate, Ryan Bell was a standout: he went 4-for-5 with three doubles and four RBI. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. Tommy Doyle was another key player, going 2-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: West Chicago kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.4 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 9.

West Chicago's victory ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 7-18. As for Larkin, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost 14 of their last 16 matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-24 record this season.

West Chicago and Larkin could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps Illinois Rankings. The Wildcats will take on Riverside-Brookfield at 4:30 p.m. on Monday with a big rank disadvantage (464 vs. 157). Meanwhile, Larkin (ranked 542nd) will meet West Aurora (ranked 88th) at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.