The Naperville Central Redhawks are taking a road trip to challenge the Naperville North Huskies at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Having struggled with three losses in a row, Naperville Central turned things around against Plainfield East on Saturday. They blew past the Bengals 15-5. The game snapped a strange streak: the last four times these teams have met, it?s been the away team that?s taken home the W.
Avery Miller spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and one unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Naperville Central got a massive performance out of Shea Meech, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That home run was Meech's first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jamie Saran, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI.
Naperville Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Plainfield East only posted an OBP of .259.
Meanwhile, Naperville North was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their seventh straight defeat. They came up short against Plainfield South, falling 18-11. On the bright side, the 11- run effort marked the Huskies' highest-scoring matchup to date.
Sara Rossi made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Cory Newbold, who went 2-for-5 with four RBI and one double.
Naperville North's loss dropped their record down to 1-9. As for Naperville Central, their victory bumped their record up to 3-5.
Naperville North's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Naperville Central has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Naperville North, though, as they've been averaging 10 hits. Given Naperville Central's sizable advantage in that area, the Huskies will need to find a way to close that gap.
Naperville Central took their win against Naperville North when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 9-1 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Redhawks since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
