Softball Game Preview: Illiana Christian Vikings vs. Andrean Fighting 59ers

The Illiana Christian Vikings will head out on the road to square off against the Andrean Fighting 59ers at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Illiana Christian is coming into the match hot, having won their last five games.

On Monday, Illiana Christian earned a 5-1 win over Highland.

Cayden Petersen spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on six hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.

Lydia VanderWoude

Stolen Base

05/19/25 vs Highland	2
05/15/25 vs Hobart	3
05/13/25 vs Hammond Bishop Noll	3
05/12/25 @ Hammond Bishop Noll	2
05/09/25 @ Harrison	2

On the hitting side, Lydia VanderWoude was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged two or more in each of the last five games she's played. Adeline Mulder was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one run.

Meanwhile, Andrean unfortunately witnessed the end of their four-game winning streak on Friday. They fell 6-2 to Valparaiso.

Aubrey Grasha made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one home run.

Illiana Christian's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 17-7. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Andrean, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-7.

Illiana Christian was able to grind out a solid victory over Andrean in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, winning 5-0. Will the Vikings repeat their success, or do the Fighting 59ers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.