Softball Game Preview: Plainfield Central Wildcats vs. Joliet West Tigers

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Previous Games

04/24/25 - Away	8-7 W
05/15/24 - Away	2-4 L
04/16/24 - Home	11-1 W
05/08/23 - Home	1-7 L
04/11/23 - Away	17-16 W
+ 5 more games

Plainfield Central and Joliet West are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2019, but likely not for long. The Wildcats will host the Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Plainfield Central will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.

Plainfield Central took a seven-run defeat the last time they faced off against Plainfield South, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Wildcats sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 victory over the Cougars on Monday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Wildcats have posted against the Cougars since May 12, 2022.

Jamie Crawford spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks.

At the plate, Ava Zitello was excellent, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Evalyn Prochaska, who went 1-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.

Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, Joliet West's good fortune finally ran out on Monday. They fell just short of Plainfield East by a score of 2-1. Tigers fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Bengals since on Monday.

Plainfield Central's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-12-1. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Joliet West, their loss dropped their record down to 7-21.

Plainfield Central came out on top in a nail-biter against Joliet West in their previous matchup back in April, sneaking past 8-7. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tigers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.