Naperville Central and Naperville North are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2022, but likely not for long. The Redhawks will look to defend their home field on Monday against the Huskies at 4:30 p.m. Naperville Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.7 runs per game this season.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Naperville Central and Waubonsie Valley meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Wednesday. The Redhawks narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Warriors 6-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Redhawks have posted since May 14, 2024.
Shea Meech spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on four hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in ten consecutive appearances.
Riley Silvers
| 04/23/25 @ Waubonsie Valley | 4 |
| 04/21/25 @ Metea Valley | 3 |
| 04/12/25 vs Plainfield East | 3 |
| 04/16/25 @ DeKalb | 2 |
| 04/14/25 @ Naperville North | 2 |
On the hitting side, Riley Silvers was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three doubles, two runs, and two RBI. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Meredith Cann, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Naperville Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 6-2 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 13 runs the game before, Naperville North was a bit more limited in their game on Saturday. They fell just short of Oswego East by a score of 3-2. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Naperville North saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sara Rossi, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases.
Naperville Central now has a winning record of 9-8. As for Naperville North, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-14.
Naperville North's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Naperville Central has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Naperville North, though, as they've been averaging 10 hits. Given Naperville Central's sizable advantage in that area, the Huskies will need to find a way to close that gap.
Naperville Central beat Naperville North 8-3 in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Will the Redhawks repeat their success, or do the Huskies have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
