Whiting is 0-6 against Illiana Christian since May of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Whiting Oilers will take on the Illiana Christian Vikings at 12:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the pair will really light up the scoreboard.
Whiting is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They blew past 21st Century Charter 27-3. Whiting's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Noah Cruz and Armando Campos made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Cruz tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Campos struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive pitching appearances. At the plate, Cruz scored two runs while going 2-for-3, while Campos scored two runs and stole two bases.
In other batting news, Beau Harbin was a standout: he scored five runs and stole two bases while going 6-for-6. Another player making a difference was Nick Davenport, who went 4-for-4 with seven RBI, a run, and a double.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, Illiana Christian gave their fans yet another huge victory on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Hammond Bishop Noll with a sharp 12-2 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Illiana Christian.
Like Whiting, Illiana Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Spencer Bandstra. He struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and only one walk). Bandstra was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Nick Neri, who went 1-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. Jake Scott was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
Whiting's record now sits at 8-15. As for Illiana Christian, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 16-9 record this season.
Saturday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Whiting has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .456. However, it's not like Illiana Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .492. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Whiting came up short against Illiana Christian in their previous matchup back in April, falling 5-2. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Bandstra, who didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. Now that Whiting knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
