The Newman Central Catholic Comets will head out to face off against the Eastland Cougars at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Newman Central Catholic is coming into the contest hot, having won their last ten games.
Newman Central Catholic had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the eight-run drubbing they dealt Erie-Prophetstown on Monday. The Comets put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 15-7 win. Considering the Comets have won four matchups by more than six runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Michael Morse made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over 5.2 innings pitched. Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
Daniel Kelly
| 04/14/25 vs Erie-Prophetstown | 4 |
| 05/16/24 vs Mendota | 3 |
| 03/28/24 vs Kewanee | 3 |
| 03/21/24 @ Newark | 3 |
| 03/28/25 @ Morrison | 2 |
In other batting news, Newman Central Catholic got a massive performance out of Daniel Kelly, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one double. Those four RBI gave Kelly a new career-high. Garret Matznick was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4.
Newman Central Catholic always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Erie-Prophetstown only posted an OBP of .353.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Eastland, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They blew past Ashton-Franklin Center 12-2 on Tuesday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Cougars as it spelled an end to their six-game losing streak.
Newman Central Catholic's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-1-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.2 runs over those games. As for Eastland, their record now sits at 3-6.
Everything went Newman Central Catholic's way against Eastland in their previous meeting back in March of 2023, as Newman Central Catholic made off with an 8-1 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Comets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
