Rensselaer Central had lost six straight at home, but on Friday they dropped their record down to 4-12 to make it seven. They came up short against the Kankakee Valley Kougars, falling 10-2. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Bombers of the 7-6 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in May of 2024.
As for Kankakee Valley, with the victory, they broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 8-9-1. They not only won on Friday, but they posted their biggest win since April 18th (when they won 16-8).
For Kankakee Valley's part, Elliott Patton looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Patton also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because the Kougars are 4-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 4-8-1 otherwise.
At the plate, Kankakee Valley let Declan Murr and Donny Stam run wild. Murr went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base, while Stam went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Murr has become a key player for Kankakee Valley: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-9-1 otherwise. GrayLee Weaver was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Rensselaer Central will head out to square off against Frontier at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. As for Kankakee Valley, they will venture away from home to face off against Benton Central at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. The Bison have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 9.32 runs per game on average), something the Kougars will no doubt try to take advantage of.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
