The Manteno Panthers will square off against the Wilmington Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Manteno will come into the matchup with an undefeated record on the line.
Manteno gave up the first runs last Thursday, but they didn't let that get them down. They came out on top against Bloom by a score of 7-3.
Jake Wendling
| 04/03/25 @ Bloom | 5 |
| 03/28/25 @ Hoopeston | 4 |
| 05/02/24 vs Wilmington | 1 |
| 04/22/24 vs Streator | 1 |
Jake Wendling and Braden Campbell were a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Wendling pitched 3.1 innings while giving up just one earned run but no hits. Meanwhile, Campbell struck out six batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. The dominant performance also gave Wendling a new career-high in strikeouts (five). At the plate, Wendling scored a run while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances, while Campbell went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one RBI.
In other batting news, Quinn Borden was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 1-for-4. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Maddoz Toepper, who scored a run while going 1-for-4.
Manteno hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bloom struck out ten times.
Meanwhile, Wilmington unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell 6-2 to Morris.
Wilmington saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Dierks Geiss, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Manteno pushed their record up to 8-0 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. As for Wilmington, they now have a losing record of 4-5.
Wilmington's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Manteno has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .471. It's a different story for Wilmington, though, as they've only averaged .349. Will they be able to contain Manteno's hitters?
Manteno couldn't quite get it done against Wilmington in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 as they fell 5-2. Will the Panthers 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.
