The Chicago Christian Knights will challenge the Marian Central Catholic Hurricanes at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Chicago Christian is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.1 runs per game this season.
Having struggled with 16 defeats in a row, Chicago Christian turned things around against Bulls College Prep on Thursday. They put the hurt on the Bulls with a sharp 18-3 win. The Knights not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since March 25, 2024 (when they won 18-2).
Chicago Christian let Brenna Schaafsma and Madi Hamilton run wild. Schaafsma got on base in all three of her plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Hamilton went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run. That's the most RBI Schaafsma has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Kayla Walters, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI and two runs.
Chicago Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bulls College Prep only posted a batting average of .333.
Meanwhile, Marian Central Catholic came tearing into Saturday's game with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.7 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-1 victory over the Trojans. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Hurricanes have posted since April 14th.
The team relied heavily on Vivianna Lara, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaylie Kowalsky, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
Marian Central Catholic's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-9. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Chicago Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 2-17.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Chicago Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Marian Central Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Chicago Christian's way against Marian Central Catholic when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Chicago Christian made off with a 10-2 win. Will the Knights repeat their success, or do the Hurricanes have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
