The Kankakee Valley Kougars will head out on the road to take on the Hanover Central Wildcats at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Kankakee Valley barely beat Wheeler the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Kougars blew past the Bearcats 15-6 on Friday. The Kougars haven't had any issues with the Bearcats recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.
The team relied heavily on Patience Cole, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Catalina Veach, who scored four runs while going 2-for-4.
Kankakee Valley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .421. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .308 or higher every time they've taken the field this season.
Manteno typically has all the answers at home, but on Friday Hanover Central proved too difficult a challenge. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Panthers a 10-0 shutout. The win was just business as usual for the Wildcats, who after three games remain undefeated this season.
Claire Edgerton and Jillian Deyoung dominated on the mound. Edgerton tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits, while Deyoung pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, Brooklyn Oostman was excellent, going 1-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Sienna Stilley was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple and two RBI.
Kankakee Valley's record is now 3-0. As for Hanover Central, their record now sits at an identical 3-0.
Kankakee Valley's speedy runners might be the difference in Saturday's game. The Kougars have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Hanover Central, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Kankakee Valley continue to outrun the ball?
Kankakee Valley took their victory against Hanover Central in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 19-5 score. Will the Kougars repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
