Canton is 2-8 against Dunlap since May of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Little Giants will host the Eagles at 4:15 p.m. Canton will be strutting in after a win while Dunlap will be coming in after a defeat.
The scorekeeper got an easy start on Wednesday as neither Canton nor Pekin made it on the board until the fifth inning. The Little Giants never let the Dragons get on the board and left with a 14-0 victory. The game was the first time the Little Giants have beaten the Dragons on their field since May 10, 2021.
Kash Van Houten made a splash while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 13 over six innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Canton is 4-2 when he allows at most one earned run, but 6-12 otherwise. Van Houten was also stellar in the batter's box, going 4-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March of 2024.
Miles Hoops
| 05/07/25 @ Pekin | 8 |
| 03/16/24 vs ROWVA/Williamsfield | 4 |
| 03/29/25 vs Camp Point Central | 3 |
| 04/17/24 @ Metamora | 3 |
| 03/19/24 vs Biggsville West Central | 3 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Miles Hoops, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, eight RBI, and two runs. Those eight RBI gave him a new career-high. Dane Grzanich was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one home run and three runs.
Canton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Pekin only posted an OBP of .308.
Meanwhile, Dunlap suffered their closest loss since March 21st on Wednesday. They fell just short of Washington by a score of 3-1. The Eagles have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Dunlap saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jackson Newton, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Canton's win bumped their record up to 10-14. As for Dunlap, their defeat dropped their record down to 17-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Canton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Dunlap struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Canton might still be hurting after the 10-0 loss they got from Dunlap when the teams last played last Monday. Will the Little Giants have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
