The Lincoln Park Lions will take on Chicago Hope Academy at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Chicago Hope Academy took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Lincoln Park, who comes in off a win.
Lincoln Park is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Von Steuben with a sharp 18-3 win on Wednesday. The Lions haven't had any issues with the Panthers recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Eleanor Funke was incredible, firing off two home runs, six RBI, and three runs while going 4-for-4. That's the most home runs she has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Bella Garcia, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.
Lincoln Park was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .630. They are 4-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Chicago Hope Academy fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Timothy Christian on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Trojans by a score of 11-9. Chicago Hope Academy's loss continues a trend for the squad, making it three in a row.
Lina Wilson put in work while hitting and pitching. She struck out ten batters over nine innings while giving up five earned (and six unearned) runs off ten hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with four stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Andi Medina and Isa Medina did some serious damage despite the final result: Andi went 3-for-5 with one home run and five RBI, while Isa went 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Autumn Brown, who went 1-for-4 with three stolen bases and one run.
Lincoln Park's win bumped their record up to 6-9. As for Chicago Hope Academy, they now have a losing record of 9-10.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lincoln Park hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .330. However, it's not like Chicago Hope Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .405. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
