Wildcats
| 05/08/25 @ Danville | 16 |
| 05/07/25 @ Peoria Notre Dame | 13 |
| 05/03/25 vs Maine South | 5 |
| 05/02/25 vs Danville | 11 |
| 04/28/25 vs Peoria | 19 |
| + 22 more games |
Normal West has gone 9-1 against Peoria Notre Dame recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Wildcats will look to defend their home field against the Irish at 4:30 p.m. Normal West is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.9 runs per game this season.
Normal West's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They put the hurt on Danville with a sharp 16-0 victory. Considering the Wildcats have won ten games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Sam McCully was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). McCully was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Torin DeLaere, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April. Ryder Coone was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Peoria Notre Dame was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost an 8-7 heartbreaker at the hands of Lincoln.
Ian Akers made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Thomas Mickels, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Normal West has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-9 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Peoria Notre Dame, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-14.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Normal West hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .319. However, it's not like Peoria Notre Dame struggles in that department as they've averaged .323. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Normal West's way against Peoria Notre Dame when the teams last played on Wednesday, as Normal West made off with a 13-5 victory. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Irish have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
