Grant Park hasn't had much luck against Peotone recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Dragons will take on the Blue Devils at 4:30 p.m. Grant Park will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
Grant Park came out on top against Watseka on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive nine-run fifth inning. The Dragons blew past the Warriors 14-4. The result was nothing new for the Dragons, who have now won seven matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Cheyenne Hayes made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 15 batters over seven innings while giving up four earned runs off six hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 5-for-5 with one home run and four RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March.

Claire Sluis
04/23/25 @ Watseka | 4 |
04/01/25 @ Heritage Christian | 3 |
04/10/25 @ Donovan | 2 |
04/10/25 @ Donovan | 2 |
03/25/25 @ Illinois Lutheran | 2 |
In other batting news, Claire Sluis was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Ava Desiderio, who went 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Grant Park kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games they've averaged 9.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Peotone, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They came out on top against Streator on Tuesday by a score of 1-0 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game).
Like Grant Park, Peotone also got a great game from a two-way player: Sophie Klawitter. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. Klawitter was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI.
Grant Park's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-5. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Peotone, their record is now 7-8.
Peotone's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Grant Park has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .454. It's a different story for Peotone, though, as they've only averaged .298. Will they be able to contain Grant Park's hitters?
Grant Park came up short against Peotone when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 5-0. Can the Dragons avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.