West Chicago is 9-1 against Larkin since April of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The West Chicago Wildcats will look to defend their home field against the Larkin Royals at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
West Chicago waltzed into their contest on Monday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They blew past the Raiders 11-1. 11 seems to be a good number for West Chicago as the team scooped up a win with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Jasmyn Trigueros was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing four innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (she also didn't allow any walks). Trigueros was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a stolen base and an RBI.
In other batting news, Sophia Ptak was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-3. Cora Garling was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Larkin scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Monday. They put the hurt on Aurora East with a sharp 25-1 victory. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded Larkin with their most commanding win of the season.
Like West Chicago, Larkin also got a great game from a two-way player: Wemken Mackenzie. She didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out nine over four innings pitched. Mackenzie has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive pitching appearances. Mackenzie was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing two bases.
In other batting news, Brynn Kerber was a standout: she scored four runs and stole a base while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Kenya Ventura, who went 4-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles.
West Chicago pushed their record up to 3-0 with that win, which was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs per game. As for Larkin, the victory was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 4-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. West Chicago has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Larkin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
West Chicago was able to grind out a solid win over Larkin in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, winning 7-4. Does West Chicago have another victory up their sleeve, or will Larkin turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
