Softball Game Preview: Saint Viator Lions vs. Crystal Lake Central Tigers

The Saint Viator Lions will head out to square off against the Crystal Lake Central Tigers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Saint Viator has given up an average of 9 runs per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Saint Viator might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 13-3 to Benet Academy, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior. The Lions have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Saint Viator saw eight different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ava Moreno, who went 2-for-4 with two runs.

Meanwhile, Crystal Lake Central had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Thursday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Warriors a 10-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won 12 matchups by six runs or more so far this season.

Crystal Lake Central's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-5. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Saint Viator, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-17.

Saint Viator might still be hurting after the 15-3 loss they got from Crystal Lake Central in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Lions avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.