Conant was the 5-4 winner over Wheeling when they last played one another back in May of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. The Conant Cougars fell just short of the Wheeling Wildcats by a score of 5-4 on Friday.
Conant got a good showing from Connor Kehoe, who didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Kehoe has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Matthew Maize made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with a triple, a run, and a double. The team also got some help courtesy of Cooper Hanson, who scored a run while going 1-for-4.
Even though they lost, Conant didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 11 strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wheeling only tossed six.
On Wheeling's side, Dylan Baloun spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered four earned runs on eight hits and racked up six Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Zach Zangara, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Conant has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 16-6 record this season. As for Wheeling, their victory bumped their record up to 9-13.
Conant will be playing in front of their home fans against Hampshire at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Hampshire will roll in looking for their seventh straight win, something Conant surely won't give up without a fight. As for Wheeling, they will be playing at home against Glenbard South at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Glenbard South knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy run totals in its past three matchups -- so hopefully Wheeling likes a good challenge.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
