Danville is 0-10 against Normal Community since April of 2015 but things could change on Thursday. The Vikings will be playing in front of their home fans against the Ironmen at 4:30 p.m. Danville is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.9 runs per game this season.
Danville's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. Everything went their way against Peoria as they made off with a 21-0 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Vikings.
Deana Linares made a splash while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in eight consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. That stolen base marked the first that she has snagged this season.
Payton Beith
| 04/30/25 vs Peoria | 2 |
| 04/22/25 @ Urbana | 1 |
| 04/06/24 @ Lanphier | 1 |
| 03/19/24 @ Paris | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Payton Beith, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Kealee Alyea was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with four runs.
Danville kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Normal Community had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Tuesday. They beat the Bulldogs by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 6-1.
Avery Anderson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on five hits.
At the plate, Tatum Yokley was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Hayley Michels, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
Normal Community pushed their record up to 9-9 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.7 runs over those games. As for Danville, the victory got them back to even at 8-8.
Danville couldn't quite get it done against Normal Community when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 6-1. Will the Vikings have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
