Flaming Hearts
| 05/04/26 @ Mater Dei | 13-5 |
| 05/01/26 vs Taylorville | 10-3 |
| 05/01/26 vs Taylorville | 4-0 |
| 04/28/26 @ Meridian | 9-6 |
Effingham extended their winning streak to four on Monday, bumping them up to 14-7. Everything went their way against the Mater Dei Knights as they made off with a 13-5 win. This was payback for the Flaming Hearts, who suffered a 5-4 loss the last time these two teams met.
Natalie Armstrong spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and one unearned) runs on nine hits.
At the plate, Ryley Engel and Maci Hayes did most of the damage at the plate: Engel went 3-for-5 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs, while Hayes went 3-for-5 with one home run, four runs, and one stolen base. That's the most RBI Engel has posted since back in May of 2025. Another player making a difference was Sydney Cunningham, who went 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Effingham was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. They are a perfect 11-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
As for Mater Dei, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 10-14. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat they have suffered since March 28th.
On Mater Dei's side, Carissa Rich made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two doubles, two RBI, and one run. Harper O'Brien was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming contests. Effingham will head out to square off against Champaign Central at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. As for Mater Dei, they will venture away from home to take on Gibault Catholic at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
