Zion-Benton had lost seven games at home, but after bumping their record up to 5-14 on Saturday that streak is in the rearview. They had just enough and edged out the Niles North Vikings 10-8. Ten seems to be a good number for the Zee-Bees as the squad scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Michael Gonzalez tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over 4.1 innings pitched.
At the plate, Jack Marabella was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. Brayden Duran was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Zee-Bees
| 04/26/25 vs Niles North | 38.5% |
| 04/25/25 @ Waukegan | 35.5% |
| 04/23/25 vs Warren Township | 25.9% |
| 04/22/25 @ Warren Township | 13% |
| 04/16/25 vs Highland Park | 13% |
| + 15 more games |
Zion-Benton was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .385. The last time their batting average was this high was back in May of 2024.
As for Niles North, their loss was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 8-11-1. On the bright side, the eight- run performance marked their highest-scoring match to date.
On Niles North's side, Mason Engstrom put in work while hitting and pitching. He tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Engstrom has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, Jacob Wolfinger made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. That double was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Evan Lazik, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Zion-Benton and Niles North could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps Illinois Rankings. The Zee-Bees will face off against Lake Zurich at 4:45 p.m. on Monday with a big rank disadvantage (472 vs. 112). Meanwhile, Niles North (ranked 305th) will meet Highland Park (ranked 86th) at 4:45 p.m. on Monday.
