Canton's found some homefield redemption this week after a overtime loss to Washington on Tuesday. The Little Giants came out on top against the Illini Bluffs Tigers by a score of 5-1. This was payback for the Little Giants, who suffered a 6-3 loss the last time these two teams met.
Kash VanHouten
| 05/12/26 vs Illini Bluffs | 16 |
| 04/23/25 vs Metamora | 14 |
| 04/16/25 @ East Peoria | 14 |
| 04/14/26 vs Cuba/Spoon River Valley | 13 |
| 05/07/25 @ Pekin | 13 |
Kash VanHouten made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 16 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits (and only one walk). Those 16 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run.
In other batting news, Asher Blessman was excellent, going 1-for-4 with one home run. Tristen Hodges also deserves some recognition as he scored his first runs of the season.
Canton's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-18-1. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of two runs across that stretch. As for Illini Bluffs, they are on a six-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 6-12.
Looking ahead, Canton will be playing in front of their home fans against Washington at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The Panthers' pitching crew has only allowed 2.7 runs per game this season, so the Little Giants' hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Illini Bluffs, they will venture away from home to square off against ROWVA/Williamsfield at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
