The Belvidere Buccaneers will head out to challenge the Belvidere North Blue Thunder at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Monday, Belvidere got the win against Rockford Auburn by a conclusive 11-1. Considering the Buccaneers have won five contests by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Kyleigh Kamholtz spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on one hit and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Zoey Pereira, who went 3-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Emily Taylor, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run.
Belvidere was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .406. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Rockford Auburn only posted a batting average of .056.
Meanwhile, Belvidere North posted their closest victory since March 28, 2025 on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Rockford Auburn 4-3. The Blue Thunder haven't had any issues with the Knights recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Ava Morris was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Morris was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Morris wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Avery Benzel, who went 1-for-4 with two runs.
Belvidere North now has a winning record of 7-6. As for Belvidere, their record now sits at 7-8.
Belvidere might still be hurting after the 16-0 loss they got from Belvidere North when the teams last played back in May of 2025. Can the Buccaneers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
