Illinois Valley Central is on a five-game streak of home wins, while Tolono Unity is on a six-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Grey Ghosts will host the Rockets at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Illinois Valley Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
Illinois Valley Central took an eight-run defeat the last time they faced off against Lexington, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Grey Ghosts came out on top in a nail-biter against the Minutemen on Tuesday, sneaking past 9-7.
Ella Ransom spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and four unearned) runs on 13 hits and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, Morgan Ellington and Madeline Bazyn did most of the damage at the plate: Ellington got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Bazyn went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That stolen base was Ellington's first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Taylor Zannaker, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Meanwhile, while Tolono Unity put up some runs on Thursday, the same can't be said for Rantoul. The Rockets put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 6-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Rockets, who have now won 13 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Tolono Unity's victory bumped their record up to 21-7. As for Illinois Valley Central, their win bumped their record up to 17-7.
Illinois Valley Central might still be hurting after the 15-5 loss they got from Tolono Unity in their previous matchup back in May of 2025. Can the Grey Ghosts avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
