The Kankakee Valley Kougars will square off against the Hanover Central Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Kankakee Valley is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.5 runs per game this season.
Kankakee Valley will roll into the match after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs last Saturday, then bounced right back against West Central last Monday. The Kougars blew past the Trojans 10-1. The victory continues a trend for the Kougars in their matchups with the Trojans: they've now won four in a row.
Kyli Page and Jessica Beauchamp were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Page pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Meanwhile, Beauchamp didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. What's more, Page posted four strikeouts, the most she's had since back in April. At bat, Page went 1-for-3 with one home run, while Beauchamp went 1-for-4 with one triple and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Julia Mahmet, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three doubles. What's more, she posted four RBI, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Patience Cole, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Kankakee Valley hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are 6-1 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, Hanover Central rose to the challenge on Tuesday. They won by a run and slipped past the Vikings 6-5. The win was some much needed relief for the Wildcats as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
Jillian Deyoung made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off eight hits. Deyoung was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one RBI.
In other batting news, Sienna Stilley was incredible, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run and four RBI. Sienna Antkiewicz was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one triple and one run.
The victory got Hanover Central back to even at 12-12. As for Kankakee Valley, their win bumped their record up to 14-11.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Kankakee Valley hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.8 home runs per game. However, it's not like Hanover Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 1 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Everything went Kankakee Valley's way against Hanover Central when the teams last played two weeks ago, as Kankakee Valley made off with a 9-1 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Kougars since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
