Softball Game Preview: Illini West Chargers vs. Liberty Eagles

The Illini West Chargers will take on the Liberty Eagles in a tournament on Saturday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

On Friday, Illini West sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 victory over Beardstown. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Chargers.

Hattie Wood looked comfortable as she tossed 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Raina Flynn and AJ Cook did most of the damage at the plate: Flynn scored a run while going 2-for-3, while Cook scored a run while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave Cook a new career-high in RBI (two).

Meanwhile, it was close, but on Friday Liberty sidestepped Beardstown for a 2-1 win. The victory continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now won three in a row.

Liberty's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Ava Heming, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI.

Illini West's record is now 6-9. As for Liberty, their record now sits at 9-3.

Illini West couldn't quite get it done against Liberty in their previous matchup two weeks ago as they fell 9-6. Can the Chargers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.