The Plainfield East Bengals will face off against the Downers Grove North Trojans at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Monday just wasn't the day for Plainfield East's offense. They came up short against Andrew on Monday, falling 6-0. The Bengals have struggled against the Thunderbolts recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost meeting.
Plainfield East saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ashley Plzak, who went 1-for-3 with one triple.
Meanwhile, Downers Grove North earned a 9-4 victory over Leyden on Monday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Trojans.
Sophia Lawson made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up four earned runs off 13 hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one triple and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Samantha Lehnherr, who went 4-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Sophia Barofsky was another key player, going 2-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and one double.
Downers Grove North was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .421. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Downers Grove North now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Plainfield East, they now have a losing record of 5-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Plainfield East has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Downers Grove North struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Plainfield East couldn't quite get it done against Downers Grove North when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 6-2. Will the Bengals have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
