The Bartlett Hawks will head out on the road to face off against the Prospect Knights at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.
Bartlett blew West Chicago out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Thursday West Chicago got their revenge. The Hawks fell just short of the Wildcats by a score of 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Hawks have suffered since April 10th.
Bartlett saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alex Bihun, who went 2-for-3 with one run.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Prospect, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 9-2 margin over Wheeling on Wednesday. The Knights haven't had any issues with the Wildcats recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive victory against them.
Dominic Graf tossed a big game, tossing five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on John Aquino, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Matt Jackson, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base.
Prospect's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-5-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.2 runs over those games. As for Bartlett, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost four of their last five games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 8-12-1 record this season.
Bartlett might still be hurting after the 8-1 loss they got from Prospect when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Hawks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
