Softball Game Preview: Evanston Wildkits vs. Vernon Hills Cougars

The Evanston Wildkits are taking a road trip to take on the Vernon Hills Cougars at 4:45 p.m. on Monday. Vernon Hills took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Evanston, who comes in off a win.

Having struggled with four defeats in a row, Evanston turned things around against Highland Park on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out the Giants 3-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Wildkits have posted since May 17, 2024.

Maya Nelson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on eight hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Delila Liston, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Those two RBI gave her a new career-high.

Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Vernon Hills challenged Libertyville on Saturday. The Cougars took a 6-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Wildcats. Having soared to a lofty 19 runs in the game before, the Cougars couldn't push the score so high this time.

Vernon Hills has also been struggling recently as they've lost eight of their last ten games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-15 record this season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.4 runs over those games. As for Evanston, their victory was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 3-8.

Evanston came up short against Vernon Hills in their previous meeting back in April of 2022, falling 10-6. Can the Wildkits avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.