The Von Steuben Panthers will challenge the Kenwood Broncos at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
On Friday, Von Steuben made easy work of Taft and carried off a 12-2 victory. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won five games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Christian Kobayashi
| 04/18/25 @ Taft | 2 |
| 03/21/25 @ Niles North | 1 |
| 03/17/25 vs Holy Trinity | 1 |
| 05/13/24 vs Hyde Park | 1 |
| 04/24/24 @ Northside | 1 |
Christian Kobayashi was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed six innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Von Steuben got a massive performance out of Kayin Timble, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. The Panthers are 3-0-1 when Timble posts two or more runs, but 4-6-1 otherwise. George Allen was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
Von Steuben kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 4-1-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Kenwood got their first taste of in-conference action on Wednesday and they started things off strong. Everything went their way against Brooks as they made off with an 11-2 win. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Broncos' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Zach Asiyanbi tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit over six innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Damaurion Butler was a standout: he got on base in all five of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run. Another player making a difference was Brandon Stinson, who went 4-for-5 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Von Steuben now has a winning record of 7-6-2. As for Kenwood, their victory bumped their record up to 2-5-2.
Von Steuben suffered a grim 15-4 defeat to Kenwood when the teams last played back in April of 2022. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
