The Champaign Central Maroons will square off against the Springfield Senators at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Champaign Central is coming into the match hot, having won their last six games.
Springfield's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Saturday: Champaign Central hadn't allowed a single run the last four times they've hit the field. The Maroons never let Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg get on the board and left with a 4-0 win on Friday.
Haley Helm
| 05/02/25 vs Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg | 11 |
| 04/26/25 @ Bloomington | 21 |
| 04/22/25 vs Richwoods | 7 |
| 04/18/25 @ Effingham | 10 |
| 04/17/25 @ Urbana | 9 |
| + 2 more games |
Haley Helm was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 11 over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run.
In other batting news, Kaitlyn Helm was excellent, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI. Maisie Bowers was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and one RBI.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last contest, Springfield made sure to put some runs up on the board against Athens on Monday. The Senators were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over the Warriors. With that victory, the Senators brought their scoring average up to 6.1 runs per game.
Like Champaign Central, Springfield also got a great game from a two-way player: Mia Volpert. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. Volpert was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Bella Pagliara, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Erin Stoops, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
Springfield always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .519. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Athens only posted an OBP of .000.
Springfield's win bumped their record up to 12-3. As for Champaign Central, their victory bumped their record up to 15-1.
Both the two teams just can't seem to miss. Champaign Central has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 12.8 hits per game. However, it's not like Springfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 3.1 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Champaign Central might still be hurting after the 10-2 defeat they got from Springfield in their previous matchup back in April of 2018. Will the Maroons 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.
