Crete-Monee Capitalizes on Kankakee Miscues, Cruises to 18-8 Run-Rule Victory

The Crete-Monee varsity baseball team turned a tight slugfest into a blowout on Wednesday, erupting for eight runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure an 18-8 home conference win over Kankakee. Combining a relentless 13-hit attack with an aggressive strategy on the basepaths, Crete-Monee took full advantage of a struggling Kankakee defense to trigger the 10-run mercy rule.

The game began as a back-and-forth affair. After trading runs in the first two frames, Kankakee surged ahead in the top of the third. Capitalizing on a string of walks, Kankakee put up a five-run inning to take a commanding lead.

However, Crete-Monee immediately chipped away at the deficit with two runs in the bottom of the third before breaking the game wide open in the fourth. A massive six-run fourth inning swung the momentum permanently in the home team’s favor.

Offensively, Crete-Monee was nearly unstoppable. Senior AJ Monegan anchored the lineup with a perfect 4-for-4 performance at the plate, scoring three runs, driving in one, hitting a double, and stealing three bases. Sophomore Carter Graham was right behind him, going 3-for-4 with two runs, three RBIs, a double, and a team-high four stolen bases. Sophomore Tyler Burnett also delivered a crucial performance, tallying two hits and driving in three runs.

As a team, Crete-Monee terrorized the basepaths, racking up an incredible 14 stolen bases. Kankakee’s defense faltered under the constant pressure, committing nine errors on the day. Those defensive miscues proved costly, resulting in 14 unearned runs for Crete-Monee.

On the mound, senior Elijah Clemons stepped up in relief of starter Chris Schubbe to earn the win. Clemons pitched 3.2 stellar innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out five to stabilize the game and shut down Kankakee’s offense.

For Kankakee, J. Villafuerte and Devin Arbour provided the offensive bright spots in the loss. Villafuerte went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Arbour added two hits and drove in two runs.

Entering the bottom of the sixth with a 10-7 lead, Crete-Monee put the game away for good. The offense pushed across eight runs in the frame, ending the contest early via the run rule and finalizing the 18-8 victory.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

Note: Table reflects innings 1-6 as baseball is played in innings rather than quarters.

Scoring Drives

• Quarter 1 (1st Inning): Kankakee pushes across 1 run; Crete-Monee answers with 1 run.

• Quarter 2 (2nd Inning): Kankakee adds 1 run; Crete-Monee matches with 1 run.

• Quarter 3 (3rd Inning): Kankakee erupts for 5 runs; Crete-Monee plates 2 runs.

• Quarter 4 (4th Inning): Crete-Monee takes control with a 6-run rally.

• Quarter 5 (5th Inning): Both teams held scoreless.

• Quarter 6 (6th Inning): Kankakee scores 1 run; Crete-Monee ends the game with an 8-run offensive explosion.

Individual Statistics

BATTING:

• Kankakee: J. Villafuerte 2-3, 3 RBI, 1 R; Devin Arbour 2-3, 2 RBI, 1 R; Dylan Shepard 2-3; Johnny Short 1 R; Bryce Deany 1 R.

• Crete-Monee: AJ Monegan 4-4, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B; Carter Graham 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 2B; Tyler Burnett 2-3, 1 R, 3 RBI; Keyshon James 1-4, 3 R, 1 RBI; Carlos Aguilar 1-4, 2 R; Elijah Clemons 1-2, 1 R.

PITCHING:

• Kankakee: Bryce Deany 2.1 IP, 8 H, 11 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K; Bentley Deany 3.0 IP, 4 H, 7 R, 2 ER, 7 BB, 4 K; Mike Prudejr 0.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R.

• Crete-Monee: Chris Schubbe 2.1 IP, 2 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 8 BB, 3 K; Elijah Clemons (W) 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K.

BASERUNNING (STEALS):

• Kankakee: Bryce Deany 1.

• Crete-Monee: Carter Graham 4, AJ Monegan 3, Keyshon James 2, Bryce Milburn 2, Tyler Burnett 2, Dylan Dee 1.