The Hersey Huskies will challenge the Palatine Pirates at 4:45 p.m. on Monday. Hersey is coming into the game hot, having won their last four games.
Hersey is returning to their home field after beating Libertyville on theirs, despite the fact Libertyville has dominated at home this season. The Huskies came out on top against the Wildcats by a score of 7-3 on Saturday.
Riley Blackwell tossed a big game, striking out seven batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.
Chuck Meister
| 05/17/25 @ Libertyville | 4 |
| 05/12/25 vs Wheeling | 3 |
| 04/28/25 @ Rolling Meadows | 3 |
| 04/26/25 vs Mundelein | 3 |
| 05/10/25 vs Glenbrook North | 2 |
At the plate, Hersey let Chuck Meister and Brady Klehr run wild. Meister went a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI and one double, while Klehr got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base. Those four hits gave Meister a new career-high. Mike Sokan was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, after a string of six wins, Palatine's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They came up short against Prospect, falling 16-9. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Pirates have suffered since April 5th.
Toby Peterson put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out ten batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off seven hits. Peterson was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs.
In other batting news, Carter Monroe was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Peter Mulhern, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run.
Hersey pushed their record up to 24-6-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Palatine, their defeat dropped their record down to 21-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Hersey has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Palatine struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Hersey came out on top in a nail-biter against Palatine in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, sneaking past 6-5. Will the Huskies repeat their success, or do the Pirates have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
