Wheeling is 0-10 against Elk Grove since April of 2019 but things could change on Wednesday. The Wildcats will square off against the Grenadiers at 4:45 p.m. Wheeling is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.4 runs per game this season.
Monday just wasn't the day for Wheeling's offense. They fell 5-0 to Buffalo Grove on Monday. The Wildcats' defeat continues a trend for the squad, making it three in a row.
Ava Shrake spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Elk Grove). Their pitcher stepped up to hand Hoffman Estates a 15-0 shutout on Tuesday. The win continues a trend for the Grenadiers in their matchups with the Hawks: they've now won seven in a row.
Aliya Garcia made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. Garcia was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one double.
In other batting news, Breana Hicks was a standout: she went 1-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Hannah Kugelberg, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Elk Grove was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .538. The last time their batting average was this high was back in April of 2024.
Elk Grove's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-2. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Wheeling, they now have a losing record of 4-5.
Wheeling suffered a grim 11-0 defeat to Elk Grove in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Wildcats avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
