The Illinois Valley Central Grey Ghosts will head out on the road to square off against the Paxton-Buckley-Loda Panthers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Illinois Valley Central's pitching crew has only allowed 3.6 runs per game this season, so Paxton-Buckley-Loda's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Illinois Valley Central came out on top against Deer Creek-Mackinaw on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive eight-run third inning. The Grey Ghosts never let the Chiefs get on the board and left with a 10-0 win. Considering the Grey Ghosts have won eight matches by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Not much got past Max Gregory, who gave up just three hits to keep Deer Creek-Mackinaw off the board.
Cole Yates
| 05/06/25 @ Deer Creek-Mackinaw | 3 |
| 05/05/25 vs Prairie Central | 1 |
| 05/03/25 vs Rantoul | 1 |
| 05/01/25 @ Morton | 1 |
| 04/30/25 vs Hall | 1 |
| + 10 more games |
At the plate, Cole Yates was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April. Griffen Landsverk was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, Paxton-Buckley-Loda came into Thursday's contest having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They walked away with a 4-0 victory over Pontiac on Thursday.
Not much got past Luke Krumwiede, who gave up just two hits and racked up seven Ks to keep Pontiac off the board. Krumwiede has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Paxton-Buckley-Loda saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jack Wesslund, who went 1-for-3 with one RBI.
Illinois Valley Central is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-10 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Paxton-Buckley-Loda, their record is now 12-10.
Illinois Valley Central skirted past Paxton-Buckley-Loda 3-2 when the teams last played back in March of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Grey Ghosts since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
