The Kankakee Valley Kougars will square off against the Kouts Mustangs & Fillies at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The last three games Kankakee Valley has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Highland hit Kankakee Valley with a five-run fifth inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Kougars fell just short of the Trojans by a score of 8-7.
Luke Bayci put in work while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two hits in seven consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one run and one double.
Declan Murr
| 05/06/25 vs Highland | 1 |
| 05/05/25 @ Highland | 1 |
| 05/03/25 vs Tri-Township | 1 |
| 05/02/25 vs North Newton | 1 |
In other batting news, Rowan Kenning and Declan Murr stepped up to the plate in a big way. Kenning went 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI, while Murr went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. Murr has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Kouts). Everything went their way against Hebron on Monday as they made off with an 18-2 win. The Mustangs & Fillies might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by nine runs or more this season.
Like Kankakee Valley, Kouts also got a great game from a two-way player: Landon Garrett. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Garrett was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Billy Miller, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Ben Finney, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Kouts always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .595. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Hebron only posted an OBP of .304.
Kouts' victory bumped their record up to 12-3. As for Kankakee Valley, they now have a losing record of 7-8-1.
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 Kouts struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Kankakee Valley couldn't quite get it done against Kouts in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 as they fell 9-5. Will the Kougars 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.
