For the second straight game, Thornwood will face off against Crete-Monee. The Thunderbirds will square off against the Warriors at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Thornwood has given up an average of 7.7 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Thornwood's last matchup with Crete-Monee could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's contest on Monday. The Thunderbirds lost 14-2 to the Warriors. The Thunderbirds have struggled against the Warriors recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost meeting.
For Crete-Monee's part, Timothy Gaddis was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. That's the most strikeouts Gaddis has posted since back in April. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of his five plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Crete-Monee's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 6-1 (and 7-9 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Bren Milburn was incredible, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with four stolen bases, three runs, and one triple. He has become a key player for Crete-Monee: the team is 8-4 when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 5-6 otherwise. Carlos Aguilar was another key player, going 1-for-2 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Crete-Monee always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Crete-Monee is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-10 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.1 runs over those games. As for Thornwood, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Thornwood has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 9.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Crete-Monee struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
