Softball Game Preview: Jacobs Golden Eagles vs. Huntley Red Raiders

Jacobs hasn't had much luck against Huntley recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Golden Eagles will face off against the Red Raiders at 4:30 p.m. Jacobs is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.3 runs per game this season.

Jacobs is headed into the match having just suffered their closest loss since May 4, 2024 on Wednesday. They fell just short of Hampshire by a score of 6-4.

Talia Disilvio made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That home run was her first of the season. Audrey Wetzel was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one run and one double.

Meanwhile, Huntley waltzed into their contest on Wednesday with four straight wins... but they left with five. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Warriors a 6-0 shutout. The Red Raiders might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven games by six runs or more this season.

Not much got past Layla Olson, who gave up just five hits to keep McHenry off the board. Olson has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Lyla Ginczycki, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Alyssa Bonner, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.

Huntley's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-8. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Jacobs, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-11.

Jacobs suffered a grim 13-4 defeat to Huntley when the teams last played back in April. Can the Golden Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.