Softball Game Preview: Taft Eagles vs. Downers Grove North Trojans

The Taft Eagles will face off against the Downers Grove North Trojans at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Taft will be strutting in after a win while Downers Grove North will be coming in after a loss.

While Taft's victory against Prospect wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Eagles sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 win over the Knights on Saturday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Eagles as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.

Lorelei Monk looked comfortable as she pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in seven consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Victoria Perez, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one run, one double, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Michaela Power, who went 3-for-4 with one run.

Meanwhile, Downers Grove North started off well but failed to capitalize on an early lead against Glenbard West. They fell just short of the Hilltoppers by a score of 3-2 on Monday.

Ashlynn Durkin spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on six hits and racked up eight Ks.

On the hitting side, Downers Grove North saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Samantha Lehnherr, who went 2-for-3 with one run.

Taft's win bumped their record up to 19-13. As for Downers Grove North, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-13.