The Conant Cougars will square off against the Buffalo Grove Bison at 4:45 p.m. on Friday. Conant hasn't scored more than a single run for three games straight, a trend the team is eager to reverse.
For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last four times Conant and Barrington have met, but the home crowd finally got their W on Wednesday. The Cougars lost 15-1 to the Fillies/Broncos.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Buffalo Grove, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They came out on top against Elk Grove by a score of 6-2 on Wednesday.
Drew Carrison made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He tossed 2.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with three RBI. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other pitching news, Buffalo Grove got a great performance from Brady Horvath as he tossed 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits. Horvath has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.
Carrison wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Cole Diaz, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Conant's defeat dropped their record down to 12-17-1. As for Buffalo Grove, their win bumped their record up to 8-21-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Conant has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Buffalo Grove struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Conant was able to grind out a solid victory over Buffalo Grove in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, winning 5-0. Do the Cougars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bison turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
