Kankakee Valley and Twin Lakes are an even 3-3 against one another since May of 2016, but likely not for long. The Kougars will welcome the Indians at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Kankakee Valley is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.
Kankakee Valley will bounce into Thursday's contest after beating Griffith, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. The Kougars were the clear victors by a 12-5 margin over the Panthers on Wednesday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Kougars needed considering they were shut out in their previous matchup.
Declan Murr
| 05/03/25 vs Tri-Township | 4 |
| 05/21/25 @ Griffith | 3 |
| 05/12/25 @ Lowell | 3 |
| 04/11/25 vs Calumet Christian | 3 |
| 05/09/25 @ Rensselaer Central | 2 |
| + 7 more games |
Declan Murr was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Kankakee Valley is undefeated when Murr posts two or more runs, but 7-11-1 otherwise. GrayLee Weaver was another key player, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Kankakee Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Twin Lakes waltzed into their game on Saturday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 5-4 W against the Panthers. That's two games straight that the Indians have won by just one run.
Trae Haworth spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and three unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up six Ks.
On the hitting side, Twin Lakes secured the win behind a pair of hitters. One of them was Aidan Holle, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Kankakee Valley has been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 14-11-1 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Twin Lakes, their win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Kankakee Valley has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Twin Lakes struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Kankakee Valley was able to grind out a solid victory over Twin Lakes when the teams last played back in April of 2022, winning 5-1. Will the Kougars repeat their success, or do the Indians have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
