Peoria Notre Dame is 9-1 against Danville since May of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Irish will head out to challenge the Vikings at 4:00 p.m. Peoria Notre Dame will be strutting in after a victory while Danville will be coming in after a defeat.
Peoria Notre Dame lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Richwoods, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Monday's matchup. The Irish were the clear victors by a 10-1 margin over the Knights on Monday. Considering the Irish have won three contests by more than seven runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Lexie Dallinger-Eaker spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up 14 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
Gianna Cowan
| 04/07/25 vs Richwoods | 3 |
| 03/29/25 vs Alleman | 2 |
| 05/13/24 vs Eureka | 2 |
| 05/08/24 @ Centennial | 2 |
| 03/23/24 vs Alleman | 2 |
On the hitting side, Ella Tady and Gianna Cowan did most of the damage at the plate: Tady went 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base, while Cowan scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave Cowan a new career-high. Gracie Anderson also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Peoria Notre Dame was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .424. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Danville scored first but ultimately less than Charleston in their game on Tuesday. They fell just short of the Trojans by a score of 9-8. The loss continues a trend for the Vikings in their meetings with the Trojans: they've now lost eight in a row.
Ka'Leah Bellik and Ava Foster stepped up to the plate in a big way. Bellik scored a run while going 3-for-5, while Foster scored a run while going 2-for-4. Gracie Briggs was another key player, scoring a run while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Peoria Notre Dame is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games. As for Danville, they now have a losing record of 2-3.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Peoria Notre Dame hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .317. However, it's not like Danville struggles in that department as they've averaged .321. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Peoria Notre Dame took their victory against Danville in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 17-3 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Irish since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
