Baseball Game Preview: Kankakee Kays vs. Peotone Blue Devils

The Kankakee Kays will head out to face off against the Peotone Blue Devils at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Kankakee will be strutting in after a win while Peotone will be coming in after a loss.

Kankakee took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Thornton as they made off with a 19-0 victory. The Kays' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.

Jacob Vinardi looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk).

At the plate, Jay'Den Jones and Bryce Deany did most of the damage at the plate: Jones got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three RBI, one triple, and one run, while Deany scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3. Kyree Sykes also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.

Meanwhile, Peotone fell victim to Manteno and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They took a 5-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Panthers. The Blue Devils haven't had much luck with the Panthers recently, as the team has come up short the last six times they've met.

Kankakee's win bumped their record up to 2-5. As for Peotone, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-4.

Kankakee's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's match. The Kays have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Peotone, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Kankakee continue to outrun the ball?

Kankakee took their victory against Peotone in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 10-1 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Kays since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.