The Minooka Indians will head out on the road to square off against the Romeoville Spartans at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Minooka is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
Minooka was handed a heart-breaking two-run loss in their last contest, but they sure didn't let that happen against Bolingbrook on Thursday. The Indians were the clear victors by a 9-0 margin over the Raiders. Considering the Indians have won six matches by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Marina Hristov looked comfortable as she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Olivia Boyd, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs, one double, and one RBI. She continues to improve, besting her previous run total in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Jaelle Hamilton, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Thursday just wasn't the day for Romeoville's offense. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of Plainfield East on Thursday. Having soared to a lofty 21 runs in the game before, the Spartans' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Lillian Roberts spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three runs (all of which were unearned) on four hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances.
Minooka is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for Romeoville, they dropped their record down to 4-7 with the defeat, which was their third straight at home.
Romeoville's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Minooka hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .345. It's a different story for Romeoville, though, as they've only averaged .234. Will they be able to contain Minooka's hitters?
Minooka was able to grind out a solid victory over Romeoville in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, winning 10-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Indians since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
