Iroquois West hasn't had much luck against Manteno recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Raiders will head out on the road to challenge the Panthers at 4:30 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Iroquois West comes in on four and Manteno on seven.
Iroquois West gave up the first runs on Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They skirted past Momence 12-11. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Raiders have posted against the Momence Athletics since April 18, 2018.
Rylan Pheifer
| 04/01/25 vs Momence | 4 |
| 05/03/24 vs Georgetown-Ridge Farm/Chrisman | 3 |
| 03/28/25 vs Clifton Central | 2 |
| 03/26/25 vs Blue Ridge | 2 |
| 03/25/25 @ Coal City | 2 |
Iroquois West let Julian Melgoza and Rylan Pheifer run wild. Melgoza scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances, while Pheifer scored four runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. Those four runs gave Pheifer a new career-high. Ivan Ontiveros also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, Manteno owes their pitching crew a big pat on the back after their performance on Tuesday. They came out on top against Peotone by a score of 5-0. Those five runs were actually the fewest the Panthers have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Nolan Canfield looked comfortable as he struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Tyler Buehler was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Gio Arrigo, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Iroquois West's victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-2. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.6 runs over those games. As for Manteno, their record now sits at 7-0.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Iroquois West has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Manteno struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Iroquois West suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Manteno in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Raiders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
