Normal West had lost five straight on the road, but on Saturday they dropped their record down to 8-15 to make it six. They came up short against the Canton Little Giants, falling 10-1. The Wildcats were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Little Giants apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in April of 2021.
Normal West saw nine different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kinley Yacko, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one run.
As for Canton, the victory snapped their losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 17-8 record. Considering they have won ten games by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
On Canton's side, Tori Birch was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Birch has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. That's the most hits she has posted over her last ten contests.
In other batting news, Kambell McDermet was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Makaylynne Correa was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Normal West and Canton could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps Illinois Rankings. The Wildcats will square off against Champaign Central at 4:30 p.m. on Monday with a big rank disadvantage (227 vs. 46). Meanwhile, Canton (ranked 95th) will meet Dunlap (ranked sixth) at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
