Softball Preview: Illiana Christian Vikings vs. Hobart Brickies
The Illiana Christian Vikings will head out on the road to face off against the Hobart Brickies at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Illiana Christian is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.8 runs per game this season.
Illiana Christian can now show off eight landslide victories after their most recent contest on Monday. Everything went their way against Hammond Bishop Noll as Illiana Christian made off with an 8-0 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Illiana Christian.
Not much got past Mikayla Derks, who gave up just three hits and racked up ten Ks to keep Hammond Bishop Noll off the board. Derks has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in five consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Lydia VanderWoude was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. Libby Kreykes was another key contributor, going 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Hobart fell victim to Lowell and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They lost 11-0 to the Red Devils. The matchup marked the first time this year in which Hobart was not able to get on the board.
Keirys Click made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-2 with two stolen bases.
Illiana Christian's victory bumped their record up to 16-3. As for Hobart, their loss dropped their record down to 14-6.
Thursday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. Illiana Christian hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .377. However, it's not like Hobart struggles in that department as they've averaged .352. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Illiana Christian took their win against Hobart in their previous matchup back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 8-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for Illiana Christian since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
