Baseball Preview: Libertyville Wildcats vs. Zion-Benton Zee-Bees
Libertyville is 10-0 against Zion-Benton since May of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Monday. The Libertyville Wildcats will head out on the road to face off against the Zion-Benton Zee-Bees at 4:45 p.m. Libertyville is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.5 runs per game this season.
Libertyville fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Grayslake North on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Knights by a score of 6-5. Libertyville's loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Libertyville got a good showing from Sam Calsin, who didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched.
At the plate, Chase Lockwood and Hayden Koonce stepped up to the plate in a big way. Lockwood went 1-for-3 with two RBI and a double, while Koonce scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Steve Strelow was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Zion-Benton was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They fell just short of Antioch by a score of 3-1.
Libertyville's record now sits at 18-7-1. As for Zion-Benton, their record is now 4-16.
Zion-Benton's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Libertyville hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .314. It's a different story for Zion-Benton, though, as they've only averaged .208. Will they be able to contain Libertyville's hitters?
Libertyville took their victory against Zion-Benton when the teams last played back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 14-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for Libertyville since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
