Wheeling can finally bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Friday. They came out on top against the Conant Cougars by a score of 5-4 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game). For Wheeling, this counts as revenge for the 5-4 loss Conant walked away with the last time they faced one another back in May of 2023.
Dylan Baloun spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered four earned runs on eight hits and racked up six Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Zach Zangara, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
On Conant's side, they got a good showing from Connor Kehoe, who didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Matthew Maize was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-4 with a triple, a run, and a double. Another player making a difference was Josh Barnett, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Even though they lost, Conant didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 11 strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wheeling only tossed six.
Wheeling's victory bumped their record up to 9-13. As for Conant, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 16-6 record this season.
Wheeling will look to defend their home field on Saturday against Glenbard South at 9:00 a.m. Glenbard South knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with flashy run totals in its past three contests -- so hopefully Wheeling likes a good challenge. As for Conant, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Hampshire at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Hampshire is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.5 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
