The Kenwood Broncos are taking a road trip to take on the Jones Eagles at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Kenwood came out on top against Von Steuben on Saturday thanks in part to the team's impressive eight-run fifth inning. The Broncos blew past the Panthers 13-2. Considering the Broncos have won three contests by more than eight runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Kenwood got a great performance from Evan Stinson as he pitched five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits.
On the hitting side, Kenwood let Jimmy Downs and Jonathan Patterson Jr run wild. Downs went 3-for-4 with three runs, one double, and one RBI, while Patterson Jr went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most hits Downs has posted since back in April of 2024. Delvynn Williams also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, Jones made easy work of Morgan Park on Friday and carried off a 12-4 win. The Eagles are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the fifth matchup they've won by 6+ runs this season.
Gabe Manier tossed a big game, striking out seven batters over 5.1 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ellis Alexander, who got on base in all five of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Jones' success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 6-7 when he doesn't). Christophe DeWijkerslooth was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one stolen base.
Jones always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .526. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Jones is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for Kenwood, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 3-5-2.
Everything went Kenwood's way against Jones in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Kenwood made off with a 12-2 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Broncos since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
