The Oakwood Comets will take on the Danville Vikings at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Oakwood will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each matchup than the last.
Oakwood will bounce into Tuesday's contest after beating Watseka, who they had gone 0-4 against in their four prior meetings. The Comets blew past the Warriors 11-3 on Monday. Considering the Comets have won four games by more than seven runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Caydence Vermillion made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched 4.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Vermillion was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4. What's more, she posted two doubles, the most she's had since back in March.
In other batting news, Lainee Smith was a standout: she scored three runs while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in RBI (two). Another player making a difference was Bella Bradford, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-3.
Oakwood was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .414. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Danville posted their closest win since May 15, 2024 on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 victory over Armstrong.
Deana Linares spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on four hits and racked up nine Ks.
At the plate, Danville saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Olivia Scaggs, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one RBI. Ka'Leah Bellik also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Oakwood's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-6-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Danville, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
Tuesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Oakwood hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .328. However, it's not like Danville struggles in that department as they've averaged .320. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Oakwood might still be hurting after the 12-2 defeat they got from Danville in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will the Comets have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
