Gardner-South Wilmington is 0-5 against Wilmington since March of 2016 but things could change on Friday. The Panthers will challenge the Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. Gardner-South Wilmington is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.8 runs per game this season.
Having struggled with four defeats in a row, Gardner-South Wilmington turned things around against Momence on Tuesday. They came out on top against the Momence Athletics by a score of 10-5.
Reed Millette made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up four earned runs off only two hits. Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, scoring three runs while going 1-for-3.
Logan Conger
| 04/08/25 @ Momence | 2 |
| 05/04/24 @ Plano | 1 |
| 05/02/24 @ Grant Park | 1 |
| 04/25/24 @ Clifton Central | 1 |
| 04/23/24 vs Clifton Central | 1 |
In other batting news, Gardner-South Wilmington got a big performance out of Logan Conger, who went 2-for-3 with five RBI. Those two hits gave Conger a new career-high. Aiden Mack also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Wilmington duked it out with Manteno on Thursday. The Wildcats sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-0 victory over the Panthers. The win continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now won four in a row.
Not much got past Kyle Farrell, who gave up just four hits and racked up 13 Ks to keep Manteno off the board. Farrell has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Lucas Rink, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Gardner-South Wilmington picked up their first road victory, bumping their record up to 2-4. As for Wilmington, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Gardner-South Wilmington has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Wilmington struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Gardner-South Wilmington might still be hurting after the 10-4 loss they got from Wilmington when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
