Baseball Recap: Early Has No Trouble Against Wheaton

After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Lakeland, Early was happy to have turned things around on Wednesday. They put the hurt on the Wheaton Bulldogs with a sharp 11-1 win. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Panthers considering their two-run performance the match before.

Luke Francka

Hits Against

05/07/25 vs Wheaton	2
05/05/25 @ Chadwick	1
04/22/25 vs New Heights Christian Academy	2
04/15/25 vs Halfway	0
03/31/25 @ Miller	2

Luke Francka spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up six Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Coltin Jett, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April. Lucas Cutler was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.

Early always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .536. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.

Early's victory bumped their record up to 10-8. As for Wheaton, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost five of their last six contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-10-1 record this season.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Early will take on Galena at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Wheaton, they will face off against Bradleyville at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.