Softball Game Preview: Danville Vikings vs. Hoopeston Cornjerkers

The Danville Vikings will take on the Hoopeston Cornjerkers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Danville came up short against Salt Fork on Saturday, falling 8-1.

Kendall Rannenbarger spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and seven unearned) runs on 12 hits.

At the plate, Ka'Leah Bellik was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run.

Meanwhile, Hoopeston made easy work of Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Tuesday and carried off a 15-5 victory. The Cornjerkers haven't had any issues with the Panthers recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.

Hoopeston let Kennedy Wallace and Peyton Irons run wild. Wallace scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances, while Irons went 2-for-3 with two runs and one triple. The team also got some help courtesy of Mollie Anderson, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.

Hoopeston kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 19 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in April of 2024.

Hoopeston pushed their record up to 2-1 with the victory, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Danville, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-1.

Danville skirted past Hoopeston 6-5 in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Does Danville have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hoopeston turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.