The Wilmington Wildcats are taking a road trip to take on the Herscher Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Wilmington comes in on three and Herscher on four.
Wilmington proved they can win big on Friday (they won by ten) and on Saturday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 win over Addison Trail.
Lexi Strohm spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on six hits.
On the hitting side, Taylor Stefancic was excellent, scoring a run while going 3-for-3. Nina Egizio was another key player, scoring a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Wilmington always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. They are a perfect 9-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Herscher got themselves on the board against Iroquois West on Thursday, but Iroquois West never followed suit. They blew past the Raiders 15-0. That 15 run margin sets a new team best for the Tigers this season.
Anistin Hackley made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Hackley was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run. That stolen base was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Herscher got a massive performance out of RyLyn Adams, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Addy Whitaker, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Wilmington's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Herscher, their record now sits at 9-2.
Monday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Wilmington hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .458. However, it's not like Herscher struggles in that department as they've averaged .450. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Wilmington skirted past Herscher 5-3 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tigers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
