West Aurora came tearing into Monday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.8 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Larkin Royals a 15-0 shutout. That's more bragging rights for the Blackhawks, who also won the pair's last head-to-head.
Will Gray looked comfortable as he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Oscar Alexander Jr. was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, four runs, and three RBI. West Aurora is 15-1 when Alexander Jr. posts two or more runs, but 7-8 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Angel Romero, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.
Blackhawks
| 05/18/26 @ Larkin | 16 |
| 05/16/26 vs Joliet Central | 6 |
| 05/14/26 @ Fenton | 15 |
| 05/12/26 vs Elgin | 6 |
| 05/11/26 @ Elgin | 14 |
| + 49 more games |
West Aurora kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in April of 2025.
West Aurora's victory bumped their record up to 22-9. As for Larkin, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 9-15 record this season.
West Aurora will have a chance to go back-to-back against Larkin: the pair's next game is a rematch scheduled at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
