The Kouts Mustangs & Fillies will face off against the Calumet Christian Patriots at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Kouts has six straight victories, Calumet Christian has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Kouts' pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Marquette Catholic with a sharp 11-0 win. The Mustangs & Fillies might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 13 contests by nine runs or more this season.
Billy Miller made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in eight consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.
In other batting news, Tyler Gant and Ben Finney did most of the damage at the plate: Gant went 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI, while Finney went 3-for-5 with two RBI and one run. Those two hits gave Gant a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Eli Harper, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run.
Kouts kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in five consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Calumet Christian lost 10-4 to La Lumiere on Monday.
Sam Thursby made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Kouts pushed their record up to 17-3 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.8 runs over those games. As for Calumet Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 9-11.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Kouts has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .511. However, it's not like Calumet Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .490. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Kouts skirted past Calumet Christian 7-6 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Do the Mustangs & Fillies have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Patriots turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
