Baseball Recap: 21st Century Charter Comes Up Short

21st Century Charter extended their losing streak (dating back to last season) to 15 on Saturday, dropping their season record down to 0-3 in the process. They came up short against the Westville Blackhawks, falling 28-1. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Cougars of the 20-10 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in April of 2024.

As for Westville, they moved to 4-4 with that victory, which also ended their four-game losing streak. The result was nothing new for the Blackhawks, who have now won three games by seven runs or more so far this season.

For Westville's part, Jacob Kozub and Joey Villarreal made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Kozub struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Villarreal struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). He is becoming a predictor of Westville's success: when he allows at most two hits the team is 2-1 (and 2-3 when he doesn't). At the plate, Kozub got on base in three of his six plate appearances with four runs, while Villarreal got on base in two of his three plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Villarreal has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played.

In other batting news, Westville got a massive performance out of Jackson Pilarski, who got on base in all five of his plate appearances with four runs, two RBI, and one double. Pilarski has become a key player for the Blackhawks: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 2-3 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Carter Glass, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.

Looking ahead, 21st Century Charter will take on East Chicago Central at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Westville, they will challenge Boone Grove at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The Wolves will roll in looking for their fourth straight win, something the Blackhawks surely won't give up without a fight.