The Argo Argonauts will square off against the Rich Township Raptors at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Argo was handed a heart-breaking two-run loss in their last game, but they sure didn't let that happen against Hillcrest on Thursday. The Argonauts were the clear victors by a 14-1 margin over the Hawks. The Argonauts haven't had any issues with the Hawks recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Brennan Mackessy
| 04/24/25 vs Hillcrest | 3 |
| 04/23/25 vs Thornwood | 1 |
| 04/21/25 vs Blue Island Eisenhower | 1 |
| 04/19/25 @ Joliet Central | 1 |
| 04/10/25 @ Thornton Fractional North | 1 |
Argo let Brennan Mackessy and Matt Mateyack run wild. Mackessy went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Mateyack went a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those three hits gave Mackessy a new career-high. Daniel Padilla was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Argo was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .409. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Rich Township and Kankakee meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Thursday. The Raptors put the hurt on the Kays with a sharp 19-6 victory. Considering the Raptors have won seven matches by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
The team relied heavily on Isiah Burbridge, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Brandon Bankhead, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Rich Township's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-9. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.7 runs over those games. As for Argo, their win bumped their record up to 7-11.
Argo took their victory against Rich Township when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 16-6 score. Do the Argonauts have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Raptors turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
