Softball Recap: Champaign Central Snaps Ten-Game Streak of Wins on the Road

Champaign Central dropped their record down to 22-2 on Thursday, which also ended the team's ten-game streak of wins on the road. They fell just short of the Normal Community 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

Batters Struck Out

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 while hitting and pitching. On the mound, 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 nothing but reliable: 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 marked the first that she has launched this season. Kaitlyn Helm was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run.

As for Normal Community, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 12 of their last 13 matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 16-10 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games.

On Normal Community's side, Ava Prevo spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on five hits.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Tatum Yokley, who fired off two home runs while going 2-for-3. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Maggie Kelley, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.

The teams didn't have to wait long for a rematch: Normal Community beat Champaign Central by a score of 5-3 later that day.