The Saint Viator Lions will venture away from home to face off against the Libertyville Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Saint Viator has given up an average of 8.4 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Saint Viator couldn't beat Carmel on Wednesday even though they stacked four runs on them in the third inning. The Lions lost 16-6 to the Corsairs. The Lions have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Gemma DelBoccio made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Maggie Ratzki, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Libertyville had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.7 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Wednesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Scouts a 12-0 shutout. The Wildcats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six games by six runs or more this season.
Libertyville got a massive performance out of Siena Zombolo, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most RBI Zombolo has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Sofia Lombardo, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Libertyville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lake Forest only posted an OBP of .062.
Saint Viator's loss dropped their record down to 8-10. As for Libertyville, their win bumped their record up to 10-4.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Saint Viator hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .330. However, it's not like Libertyville struggles in that department as they've averaged .316. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Saint Viator took their victory against Libertyville in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 14-3 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lions since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
