Softball Game Preview: Normal University Pioneers vs. Sacred Heart-Griffin Cyclones

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Previous Games

05/09/24 - Away	11-2 W
05/07/24 - Home	2-0 W
05/03/23 - Away	13-0 W
05/02/23 - Home	10-0 W
03/16/22 - Home	8-1 W
+ 5 more games

Normal University is 8-2 against Sacred Heart-Griffin since April of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Pioneers will challenge the Cyclones at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Having struggled with four defeats in a row, Normal University turned things around against Prairie Central on Monday. They skirted past the Hawks 3-2.

The scorekeeper got an easy start on Friday as neither Sacred Heart-Griffin nor Lexington made it on the board until the sixth inning. The Cyclones walked away with a 6-1 win over the Minutemen.

Kenzie Wieland and Addie Malek were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Wieland tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Malek struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off six hits (and not a single walk). Wieland has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 14 consecutive appearances. At the plate, Wieland went 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI, while Malek went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and one run. That's the most hits Wieland has posted over her last eight matches.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Felicity Keller, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI. Stella Clow also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen bases of the season.

Sacred Heart-Griffin is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-8 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.1 runs on average over those games. As for Normal University, their record is now 11-15.

Normal University took their win against Sacred Heart-Griffin in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 11-2 score. Will the Pioneers repeat their success, or do the Cyclones have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.