The North Newton Spartans will venture away from home to face off against the Kankakee Valley Kougars at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. North Newton has given up an average of 7.7 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
North Newton took a ten-run defeat the last time they faced off against West Central, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Spartans skirted past the Trojans 17-16. The Spartans' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Korbyn Haberlin was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits. Haberlin was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and one double. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024.
Preston Boezeman
| 05/01/25 vs West Central | 3 |
| 05/18/24 vs North White | 2 |
| 04/30/24 @ Faith Christian | 2 |
| 04/08/24 vs Rensselaer Central | 2 |
| 04/26/25 @ Wheeler | 1 |
In other batting news, North Newton let Preston Boezeman and Bryce Gibson run wild. Boezeman got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI, while Gibson went 3-for-5 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. Those three runs gave Boezeman a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Emmett Paine, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
North Newton kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Kankakee Valley started off well but failed to capitalize on an early lead against Hobart. They took a 6-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Brickies on Tuesday. The loss continues a trend for the Kougars in their meetings with the Brickies: they've now lost seven in a row.
Rowan Kenning and Declan Murr did some serious damage despite the final result: Kenning went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run, while Murr went 1-for-3 with one triple and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Jason Parker, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Kankakee Valley now has a losing record of 5-6-1. As for North Newton, their record is now 3-10.
North Newton might still be hurting after the 12-1 defeat they got from Kankakee Valley in their previous meeting back in April of 2022. Can the Spartans avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
