Baseball Game Preview: Proviso West Panthers vs. Downers Grove North Trojans

Proviso West hasn't had much luck against Downers Grove North recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Panthers will welcome the Trojans at 4:30 p.m. Proviso West has given up an average of 9.2 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Proviso West is headed into Monday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Saturday. They came up short against Willowbrook, falling 16-1.

Proviso West saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Demarco Alvarado, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.

Meanwhile, Downers Grove North came tearing into Saturday's game with ten straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 3.4 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They walked away with a 5-2 win over the Hornets.

Nick Konopiots tossed a big game, striking out nine batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high.

On the hitting side, Emilio Gandarilla was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Brady Schallmoser, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.

Downers Grove North pushed their record up to 11-1 with the victory, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.9 runs on average over those games. As for Proviso West, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-5.

Proviso West suffered a grim 15-0 defeat to Downers Grove North when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.