The Erie-Prophetstown Panthers will challenge the Newman Central Catholic Comets at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Erie-Prophetstown took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They never let Mendota get on the board and left with a 9-0 win. That looming 9-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Panthers yet this season.
Braedyn Frank
| 04/21/25 @ Princeton | 6 |
| 04/10/25 @ Kewanee | 2 |
| 04/01/25 vs Rockridge | 2 |
| 05/05/25 @ Mendota | 1 |
Not much got past Braedyn Frank, who gave up just two hits and racked up seven Ks to keep Mendota off the board. Frank also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Erie-Prophetstown is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 3-9 otherwise.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Caden VanHorn, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Braylon Swertfeger, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Newman Central Catholic came out on top against Amboy on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run sixth inning. The Comets put the hurt on the Clippers with a sharp 8-0 victory. Considering the Comets have won ten matches by more than six runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
The result came thanks to Evan Bushman's shutout, as he gave up just three hits and racked up nine Ks. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Garret Matznick was incredible, going 2-for-5 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Garet Wolfe was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Newman Central Catholic hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in five consecutive games.
Newman Central Catholic has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 23-4-1 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.6 runs over those games. As for Erie-Prophetstown, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-10.
Erie-Prophetstown suffered a grim 15-7 defeat to Newman Central Catholic when the teams last played back in April. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
