Softball Game Preview: Naperville Central Redhawks vs. DeKalb Barbs

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Previous Games

04/30/25 - Home	9-3 W
04/16/25 - Away	8-4 W
05/13/24 - Home	8-4 W
05/08/24 - Home	13-3 W
04/25/24 - Away	5-4 W
+ 5 more games

Naperville Central is 9-1 against DeKalb since May of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Redhawks will venture away from home to take on the Barbs at 3:45 p.m. DeKalb took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Naperville Central, who comes in off a win.

Naperville Central played against Naperville North on Wednesday and won via forfeit.

DeKalb is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Waubonsie Valley just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Wednesday. They fell just short of the Warriors by a score of 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Barbs have suffered since May 6, 2024.

Jasmine Rodriguez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and three unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Cassidy Cavazos made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with two triples, two runs, and one stolen base.

Naperville Central is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-12 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for DeKalb, their loss dropped their record down to 14-11.

Everything went Naperville Central's way against DeKalb in their previous matchup two weeks ago, as Naperville Central made off with a 9-3 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Redhawks since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.