The Kent City Eagles will head out to challenge the Grant Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
On Tuesday, Kent City got the win against Morley Stanwood by a conclusive 12-2. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Eagles.
Justin Anderson tossed a big game, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. He has become a key player for Kent City: the team is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 1-4 otherwise.
Aaron Vanderwest
| 04/21/26 @ Morley Stanwood | 2 |
| 04/14/26 vs Big Rapids | 1 |
| 03/26/26 @ Montague | 1 |
| 05/15/25 @ Central Montcalm | 1 |
| 05/09/25 vs Chippewa Hills | 1 |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Aaron Vanderwest, who went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in doubles (two). Emmit Hansen was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases and one run.
Kent City always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .647. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Grant). They were the clear victors by a 14-7 margin over Tri County Area on Tuesday. Considering the Tigers have won four contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Owen Chesebro made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season.
In other batting news, Jacob Gates was a standout: he went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Kohen Obenauf, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Kent City's record now sits at 3-5. As for Grant, their record is now 7-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Kent City has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Grant struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Kent City might still be hurting after the 13-0 defeat they got from Grant in their previous matchup back in April of 2025. Can the Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
