Baseball Game Preview: Kalida Wildcats vs. Van Wert Cougars

The Kalida Wildcats are taking a road trip to square off against the Van Wert Cougars at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. The last three games Kalida has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

Kalida fought the good fight in their extra-innings match against Leipsic on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Vikings by a score of 4-3. That's two games in a row now that the Wildcats have lost by just one run.

Meanwhile, Van Wert suffered their closest loss since April 16, 2024 last Tuesday. They fell just short of Shawnee by a score of 4-2. The Cougars have struggled against the Indians recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.

Kalida has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 13-5 record this season. Those defeats can't be blamed on the team's pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Van Wert, their loss dropped their record down to 7-6.

Kalida was able to grind out a solid victory over Van Wert in their previous matchup back in May of 2023, winning 5-1. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Cougars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.