De Kalb took a nine-run loss the last time they faced off against New Boston, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Bears came out on top in a nail-biter against the Lions on Friday, sneaking past 6-4. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Bears.
Jake Payne spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.

Tanner Copeland
| 04/03/26 vs New Boston | 2 |
| 03/31/26 @ Atlanta | 1 |
| 03/20/26 @ Queen City | 1 |
| 03/05/26 vs Daingerfield | 1 |
| 02/28/26 vs Ford | 1 |
On the hitting side, De Kalb let Tanner Copeland and Dom Dunn run wild. Copeland went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double, while Dunn went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those two hits gave Copeland a new career-high. Carter Calvit was another key player, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
The victory got De Kalb back to even at 8-8. As for New Boston, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 8-10.
We've got plenty of inter-district action coming up soon. De Kalb is set to square off against their familiar foe Redwater at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Meanwhile, New Boston will take on rival Queen City at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps