The Calumet Christian Patriots will head out on the road to square off against the Westville Blackhawks at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. One thing working in Calumet Christian's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three games.
Last Tuesday, Calumet Christian made easy work of La Lumiere and carried off an 18-4 victory. The result was nothing new for the Patriots, who have now won three matchups by eight runs or more so far this season.
Ryan Jackson made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Jackson was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (two).
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jackson Gary, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in May of 2024. Micah Hufnagle was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
Calumet Christian kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, while it was Westville who put the first runs on the board on Wednesday, it was Culver Academies who put up more. The Blackhawks came up short against the Eagles, falling 13-3. The Blackhawks have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Westville saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Mark Krichkan, who scored a run while going 2-for-2. Those hits marked the first that Krichkan got this season.
Westville's defeat dropped their record down to 3-2. As for Calumet Christian, their record now sits at 3-4.
Westville's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Calumet Christian hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. It's a different story for Westville, though, as they've only averaged .221. Will they be able to contain Calumet Christian's hitters?
Calumet Christian took their win against Westville when the teams last played back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 19-3 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
