Softball Preview: Deer Creek-Mackinaw Chiefs vs. Midwest Central/Illini Central Raiders
The Deer Creek-Mackinaw Chiefs will be playing in front of their home fans against the Midwest Central/Illini Central Raiders at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Deer Creek-Mackinaw has five straight victories, Midwest Central/Illini Central has four straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Last Monday, Deer Creek-Mackinaw was able to grind out a solid win over Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley, taking the game 7-3.
Kenzie Knowles made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Knowles was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs.
Knowles wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Payton Schweigert, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, Midwest Central/Illini Central came up short against Havana on Tuesday and fell 7-3.
Izzy Passmore spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and five unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts every time she's pitched this season.
Deer Creek-Mackinaw is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games, which provided a massive bump to their 12-8 record this season. As for Midwest Central/Illini Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-15.
Both the pair just can't seem to miss. Deer Creek-Mackinaw has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11 hits per game. However, it's not like Midwest Central/Illini Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.4. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Deer Creek-Mackinaw's way against Midwest Central/Illini Central when the teams last played back in May of 2023 as Deer Creek-Mackinaw made off with a 10-3 victory. Does Deer Creek-Mackinaw have another victory up their sleeve, or will Midwest Central/Illini Central turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
