Wheeler is 0-8 against Kankakee Valley since May of 2015 but things could change on Friday. The Bearcats will look to defend their home field against the Kougars at 5:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Thursday, Wheeler earned a 6-2 victory over North Newton. The win continues a trend for the Bearcats in their matchups with the Spartans: they've now won three in a row.
Grace Gabriel was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over seven innings pitched. Gabriel was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Abby Allen was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one double.
Meanwhile, Kankakee Valley was not the first on the board on Thursday, but they got there more often. They put the hurt on Hobart with a sharp 11-4 victory. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Kougars have posted against the Brickies since May 11, 2021.
Like Wheeler, Kankakee Valley also got a great game from a two-way player: Mallorie Rose. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits. Those 11 strikeouts gave Rose a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three RBI and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Savannah Michalski, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-1. Catalina Veach was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base.
Kankakee Valley has started the season off flawlessly and has a 2-0 record to show for it. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 5 runs this season. As for Wheeler, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
