The Lincoln-Way Central Knights will take on the Mundelein Mustangs at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Lincoln-Way Central comes in on 18 and Mundelein on four.
Lincoln-Way Central is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Illinois' top teams: Lincoln-Way East, who was ranked fifth at the time (Lincoln-Way Central was ranked first). The Knights sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 victory over the Griffins on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Knights have posted against the Griffins since April 14, 2021.
Ellie McLaughlin was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Carly Karales, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Lincoln-Way Central was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .379. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .364 or higher in six consecutive games.
18 must be Mundelein's lucky number: they beat Lake Forest with that score not once but twice on Thursday. The Mustangs beat the Scouts by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 18-1. The result was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have now won 13 matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Sophia Zepeda made a big impact no matter where she played. She pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Zepeda was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Claire Connelly, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Kieley Tomas was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Lincoln-Way Central pushed their record up to 29-1 with the victory, which was their 19th straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.1 runs on average over those games. As for Mundelein, their victory bumped their record up to 20-8.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lincoln-Way Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .324. However, it's not like Mundelein struggles in that department as they've averaged .369. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
