The Neuqua Valley Wildcats will face off against the Naperville North Huskies at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Neuqua Valley is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.8 runs per game this season.
Neuqua Valley blew DeKalb out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Monday DeKalb got their revenge. The Wildcats wound up with the same score they had in their last game (5-3), but sadly the team found themselves on the wrong side of the score this time. Their loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Neuqua Valley got a good showing from Ava Drehs, who pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Drehs has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Krista Waldusky was cooking despite her team's loss, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Naperville North, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They had just enough and edged out Waubonsie Valley 4-3 on Monday.
Eliza Patterson was excellent, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with one stolen base and one run. Reese Pedersen was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Neuqua Valley's defeat was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 7-1 and their overall record down to 11-10. As for Naperville North, their victory bumped their record up to 6-16.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Neuqua Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Naperville North struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Neuqua Valley was able to grind out a solid win over Naperville North when the teams last played two weeks ago, winning 11-7. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Huskies turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
