Cherokee is 1-9 against Waterloo since April of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Indians will host the Cougars at 4:30 p.m. Cherokee has given up an average of 17 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Cherokee fell victim to Tremont and their airtight pitching crew last Thursday. They lost 14-0 to the Eagles.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Waterloo took on Tharptown on Monday. The Cougars blew past the Wildcats 10-3. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four contests by seven runs or more this season.
Jacob Hart made a big impact no matter where he played. He tossed 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Waterloo is 4-2 when he allows at most one earned run, but 2-4 otherwise. Hart was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Waterloo got a great performance from Stalin Wood as he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over 5.1 innings pitched. Wood has become a key player for the Cougars: the team is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 4-5 otherwise.
Back at the plate, Ryan Benson was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Waterloo is undefeated when Benson posts two or more runs, but 3-6 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Landon Jones, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
The win got Waterloo back to even at 6-6. As for Cherokee, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-10.
Cherokee suffered a grim 16-2 defeat to Waterloo in their previous meeting back in April of 2025. Can the Indians avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
