The Highland Park Giants will venture away from home to square off against the Lake Forest Scouts at 4:45 p.m. on Friday. Neither of those teams managed to put together many runs in their previous contests, so the offenses might be a little more motivated than usual.
Highland Park took a nine-run defeat the last time they faced off against Glenbrook North, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Giants had just enough and edged out the Spartans 2-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Giants have posted since May 6, 2024.
Lily Freedman
| 05/01/25 vs Glenbrook North | 15 |
| 04/29/25 @ Maine South | 7 |
| 04/26/25 @ Niles West | 16 |
| 04/24/25 vs Evanston | 14 |
| 04/22/25 vs New Trier | 14 |
| + 7 more games |
Not much got past Lily Freedman, who gave up just five hits and racked up 15 Ks to keep Glenbrook North off the board. Freedman has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Brooklyn Swick, who went 2-for-3 with one triple and one run. Another player making a difference was Taylor Layette, who got on base in two of her three plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Lake Forest was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They came up short against Warren Township, falling 9-2.
LaMartin Natalie was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple was her first of the season.
Highland Park's victory bumped their record up to 7-5. As for Lake Forest, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-12.
Lake Forest's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Highland Park has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 12.3 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Lake Forest, though, as they've been averaging only 3.1 strikeouts. Will Highland Park keep running through batters, or will the Scouts buck the trend?
Everything went Highland Park's way against Lake Forest when the teams last played back in May of 2022, as Highland Park made off with a 37-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Giants since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
