Larkin hasn't had much luck against Bartlett recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Royals will look to defend their home field against the Hawks at 4:30 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Having struggled with four losses in a row, Larkin turned things around against Fenton on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out the Bison 4-3.
Andrew Saldivar made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run over 5.1 innings pitched. Saldivar was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
Aden Mora
| 04/23/26 vs Fenton | 2 |
| 04/21/26 vs South Elgin | 1 |
| 04/16/26 vs Ridgewood | 1 |
| 04/11/26 @ St. Edward | 1 |
| 04/07/26 @ Elgin | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Aden Mora, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
Meanwhile, Bartlett narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Prospect 3-1. That's two games straight that the Hawks have won by exactly two runs.
Aidan Mertes looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two hits in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Bartlett's win was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Ryan Smith, who went 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI.
Bartlett's victory bumped their record up to 12-8. As for Larkin, their win bumped their record up to 6-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Larkin has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bartlett struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Larkin suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Bartlett in their previous matchup back in April of 2025. Will the Royals have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
