South Bend Riley is 0-10 against Penn since April of 2016 but things could change on Wednesday. The Wildcats will head out to face off against the Kingsmen at 12:00 p.m. One thing working in South Bend Riley's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three contests.
South Bend Riley gave up the first runs last Friday, but they didn't let that get them down. They were the clear victors by a 24-7 margin over Valparaiso. The game marked the Wildcats' most dominant victory of the season so far.
KAELYNN HOWELL
| 04/04/25 @ Valparaiso | 5 |
| 04/20/24 vs Franklin County | 4 |
| 04/24/24 @ Mishawaka Marian | 3 |
| 04/20/24 vs Huntington North | 3 |
| 03/26/25 @ Goshen | 2 |
KAELYNN HOWELL and ELLIANA GONZALES made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, HOWELL struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off one hit. Meanwhile, GONZALES didn't allow a single hit and allowed only two earned runs over four innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances. At bat, HOWELL fired off two home runs, four runs, and five RBI while going 5-for-6, while GONZALES got on base in three of her six plate appearances with three RBI. Those five hits gave HOWELL a new career-high.
In other batting news, South Bend Riley got a massive performance out of RACHEL HUNT, who went 2-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. Another player making a difference was LEXINGTON JENKINS, who got on base in five of her six plate appearances with four RBI and two runs.
South Bend Riley hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Thursday just wasn't the day for Penn's offense. They lost 18-0 to Lake Central on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Kingsmen have suffered since April 6, 2024.
Penn saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ava Zachary, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base.
South Bend Riley pushed their record up to 4-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.5 runs over those games. As for Penn, their loss dropped their record down to 1-1.
South Bend Riley suffered a grim 16-4 defeat to Penn when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Wildcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
