The Illinois Lutheran Chargers will square off against the Momence Momence Athletics at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Illinois Lutheran has seven straight victories, Momence has 20 straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Wednesday, Illinois Lutheran earned an 8-4 win over Heritage Christian. That's two games straight that the Chargers have won by exactly four runs.
Madison Permenter spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on three hits.
Emma Nagle
| 05/07/25 vs Heritage Christian | 3 |
| 03/25/25 vs Grant Park | 2 |
| 05/05/25 @ St. Anne | 1 |
| 04/30/25 vs Thornton Fractional South | 1 |
| 04/29/25 vs Rich Township | 1 |
On the hitting side, Emma Nagle was incredible, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with three stolen bases and three runs. Those three stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Alissia Sanchez, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs.
Illinois Lutheran hit Momence with a six-run fourth inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Momence Athletics took a 12-8 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Chargers.
Delilah Latham made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Sydnee Vanswol was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Illinois Lutheran pushed their record up to 11-8 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for Momence, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-16.
Illinois Lutheran's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's match. The Chargers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Momence, though, as they've been averaging only 0.7 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Illinois Lutheran continue to outrun the ball?
Illinois Lutheran was able to grind out a solid victory over Momence when the teams last played on Tuesday, winning 12-8. Do the Chargers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Momence Athletics turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
