Addison Trail hasn't had much luck against Willowbrook recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Blazers will venture away from home to face off against the Warriors at 4:30 p.m. Addison Trail will be strutting in after a victory while Willowbrook will be coming in after a loss.
Addison Trail is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past Proviso West 13-7 on Saturday. The Blazers haven't had any issues with the Panthers recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Jonathon Valdez made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching six innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. He is becoming a predictor of Addison Trail's success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is 3-1 (and 4-8 when he doesn't). Valdez was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Louie Franczak
| 04/19/25 @ Proviso West | 3 |
| 04/17/25 @ Berwyn/Cicero Morton | 2 |
| 04/11/25 vs Proviso East | 2 |
| 04/10/25 vs Proviso East | 2 |
| 04/08/25 vs Proviso East | 2 |
In other batting news, Addison Trail let Casey Carlson and Louie Franczak run wild. Carlson went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs, while Franczak went 3-for-5 with four stolen bases and two runs. Those three hits gave Franczak a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Eric DeBeau, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Addison Trail hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Willowbrook didn't have quite enough to beat Hinsdale Central on Saturday and fell 2-1.
Willowbrook also got a good showing from Mikey Garner, who didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. What's more, Garner gave up only zero earned runs, the fewest he's had since back in March.
On the hitting side, Willowbrook saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jake Bonino, who went 1-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Willowbrook's defeat ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 10-5. As for Addison Trail, they picked up their first road victory, bumping their record up to 7-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Addison Trail has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Willowbrook struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Addison Trail couldn't quite get it done against Willowbrook when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 3-0. Can the Blazers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
