The Mercer County Golden Eagles are taking a road trip to face off against the Kewanee Boilermakers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Mercer County is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last four games.
On Thursday, Mercer County got the win against Monmouth-Roseville by a conclusive 7-1. Considering the Golden Eagles have won ten games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Elsie Cook spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 14 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jayden Weeks, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April. Peyton Knapp also deserves some recognition as she launched her first home run of the season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Kewanee, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They skirted past Princeton 5-3.
Kalleigh Gale was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off seven hits (and only one walk). Gale was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI.
In other batting news, Addy Yepsen was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Rylee Blades, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.
Kewanee lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Kewanee pushed their record up to 14-10 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Mercer County, their record now sits at 18-4.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Mercer County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .354. However, it's not like Kewanee struggles in that department as they've averaged .369. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mercer County beat Kewanee 3-0 when the teams last played back in May of 2019. Do the Golden Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Boilermakers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
