Softball Game Preview: Moline Maroons vs. Normal West Wildcats

The Moline Maroons are taking a road trip to square off against the Normal West Wildcats at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

On Thursday, Moline got the win against Alleman by a conclusive 8-2.

Kayley Reynolds

Batters Struck Out

04/03/25 @ Alleman	8
04/01/25 vs Rock Island	9
03/22/25 vs Rockridge	5

Kayley Reynolds spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on five hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Brooke Young, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3. Those two hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Sydney Sibley, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.

Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Normal West took on Plainfield North on Tuesday. The Wildcats walked away with an 8-3 victory over the Tigers. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Wildcats.

Normal West let Rylee Hollings and Erika Durham run wild. Hollings went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI, while Durham went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run and three runs. Those RBI were Hollings' first of the season. Olivia Kobel was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.

Normal West was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .393. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.

Moline's record now sits at 2-7. As for Normal West, their record is now 3-4.

Everything went Moline's way against Normal West in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Moline made off with a 6-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Maroons since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.