The Kewanee Boilermakers will head out to take on the Brimfield Indians at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Monday, Kewanee beat Newman Central Catholic 6-3. The Boilermakers haven't had any issues with the Comets recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive win against them.
Kalleigh Gale spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on nine hits and racked up 13 Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one walk in 12 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Kieryn Abernathy was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run and two runs. Macee Pickering was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
Kewanee always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Newman Central Catholic only posted an OBP of .333.
Meanwhile, Brimfield came tearing into Tuesday's matchup with 14 straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.7 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They never let the Farmers get on the board and left with a 5-0 victory. The Indians' pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last three contests.
Not much got past Schyer Meinders, who gave up just six hits and racked up eight Ks to keep Farmington off the board.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Reese Legaspi, who went 1-for-2 with one home run and two runs. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April.
Brimfield pushed their record up to 24-2 with the win, which was their 21st straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games. As for Kewanee, their record is now 15-11.
Wednesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Kewanee has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .454. However, it's not like Brimfield struggles in that department as they've averaged .446. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Kewanee might still be hurting after the 11-0 loss they got from Brimfield in their previous meeting back in May of 2018. Can the Boilermakers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
