The Villa Grove Blue Devils will face off against the Argenta-Oreana Bombers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Villa Grove fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Okaw Valley on Monday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Timberwolves by a score of 3-2. The Blue Devils have struggled against the Timberwolves recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.
Max Wilson
| 05/05/25 @ Okaw Valley | 9 |
| 04/16/25 @ St. Thomas More | 8 |
| 04/10/25 vs Sullivan | 8 |
Max Wilson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on five hits and racked up nine Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Jackson Gire was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Argenta-Oreana made easy work of Cumberland on Wednesday and carried off an 11-3 win. The result was nothing new for the Bombers, who have now won seven games by six runs or more so far this season.
Carter Logue was incredible, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Argenta-Oreana is 6-2 when Logue posts two or more stolen bases, but 5-6 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Kharsen West, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Argenta-Oreana's victory bumped their record up to 11-8. As for Villa Grove, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-12.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Villa Grove has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Argenta-Oreana struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Villa Grove took their win against Argenta-Oreana when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 7-1 score. Will the Blue Devils repeat their success, or do the Bombers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
