The Neuqua Valley Wildcats will take on the Naperville North Huskies at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Naperville North took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Neuqua Valley, who comes in off a win.
Neuqua Valley is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 14-4 margin over Jones on Friday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Wildcats considering their one-run performance the game before.
Jake Kuehl looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Mike Langan, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Jorden Castillo, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Neuqua Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 5-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Naperville North fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Glenbard East on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Rams by a score of 7-6.
Naperville North also got a good showing from Brandon Person, who tossed 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. That one hit allowed gave Person a new career-low.
On the hitting side, Brady Marino was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That double was his first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Caden Vorwick, who went 4-for-5 with two RBI and one double.
Naperville North now has a losing record of 12-13. As for Neuqua Valley, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 11-12-1.
Neuqua Valley couldn't quite get it done against Naperville North when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 4-1. Will the Wildcats have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.