Belvidere North is on a four-game streak of home wins, while Harlem is on a five-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Blue Thunder will welcome the Huskies at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Thursday, Belvidere North got the win against Rockford Auburn by a conclusive 11-5. The victory continues a trend for the Blue Thunder in their matchups with the Knights: they've now won three in a row.
Ava Morris made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Isabelle Schadle
| 05/08/25 vs Rockford Auburn | 3 |
| 05/07/25 @ Hononegah | 2 |
| 05/06/25 @ Guilford | 1 |
| 05/05/25 vs Jefferson | 2 |
| 04/28/25 @ Belvidere | 1 |
| + 8 more games |
In other batting news, Isabelle Schadle was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Miley Dobbs, who went 1-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Belvidere North was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .438. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .308 or higher in four consecutive games.
Harlem came out on top against Boylan Catholic on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive eight-run second inning. The Huskies were the clear victors by a 14-3 margin over the Titans.
Like Belvidere North, Harlem also got a great game from a two-way player: Rylie Adams. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over seven innings pitched. Adams was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with four RBI.
In other batting news, Addie Henderson and Adriah Sholl did most of the damage at the plate: Henderson went 3-for-5 with one home run and two RBI, while Sholl went 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That home run marked the first that Henderson has launched this season. Aubrey Burbach was another key player, going 2-for-5 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Harlem is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Belvidere North, their victory bumped their record up to 16-8.
Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Belvidere North hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .375. However, it's not like Harlem struggles in that department as they've averaged .333. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Belvidere North came out on top in a nail-biter against Harlem when the teams last played back in April, sneaking past 10-8. Do the Blue Thunder have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Huskies turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
