Champaign Central is 1-9 against Danville since May of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Maroons will host the Vikings at 4:30 p.m. Champaign Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.3 runs per game this season.
Normal Community hit Champaign Central with a four-run seventh inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Maroons fell just short of the Ironmen by a score of 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Maroons have suffered since April 16th.
Haley Helm
| 05/15/25 @ Normal Community | 9 |
| 05/12/25 @ Normal West | 11 |
| 05/10/25 vs Peoria Notre Dame | 15 |
| 05/08/25 vs Oakwood | 7 |
| 05/07/25 @ Meridian | 13 |
| + 9 more games |
Haley Helm put in work no matter where she played. She struck out nine batters over 6.1 innings while giving up five earned runs off five hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in 14 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one home run.
In other batting news, Grace Bandy made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one home run. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Kaitlyn Helm, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.
Meanwhile, Danville lost 10-1 to Mahomet-Seymour on Monday.
Deana Linares spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered six earned (and four unearned) runs on 14 hits and racked up 12 Ks.
On the hitting side, Danville saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kealee Alyea, who went 1-for-2 with one double.
Danville now has a losing record of 11-12. As for Champaign Central, their loss was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 7-1 and their overall record down to 22-2.
Danville's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Champaign Central has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Danville, though, as they've been averaging 8.7 hits. Given Champaign Central's sizable advantage in that area, the Vikings will need to find a way to close that gap.
Champaign Central took their victory against Danville when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 12-1 score. Will the Maroons repeat their success, or do the Vikings have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
