Lincoln-Way Central is 9-1 against Bradley-Bourbonnais since May of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Knights will welcome the Boilermakers at 5:15 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Lincoln-Way Central comes in on 14 and Bradley-Bourbonnais on four.
Lincoln-Way Central barely beat Sandburg the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Knights blew past the Eagles 14-6 on Wednesday. Considering the Knights have won 12 games by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Jalese Hays spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and one unearned) runs on eight hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
Kayla Doerre
| 05/14/25 @ Sandburg | 4 |
| 05/09/25 vs Homewood-Flossmoor | 3 |
| 04/27/24 vs Yorkville | 3 |
| 04/29/25 @ Lincoln-Way East | 2 |
| 04/11/25 vs Lincoln-Way West | 2 |
At the plate, Kayla Doerre was incredible, going 3-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jenna Labriola, who went 4-for-5 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Lincoln-Way Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 19 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
The scorekeeper got an easy start on Thursday as neither Bradley-Bourbonnais nor Manteno made it on the board until the fifth inning. The Boilermakers sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-1 win over the Panthers.
Lydia Hammond made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Hammond was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one triple and one RBI. That triple was her first of the season.
Hammond wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Olivia Woolman, who went 1-for-4 with one run and one double.
Lincoln-Way Central pushed their record up to 25-1 with the victory, which was their 19th straight on the road dating back to last season. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Bradley-Bourbonnais, their victory bumped their record up to 18-10.
Both Lincoln-Way Central and Bradley-Bourbonnais just can't seem to miss. The Knights have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.8 hits per game. However, it's not like Bradley-Bourbonnais struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.4 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Lincoln-Way Central's way against Bradley-Bourbonnais in their previous matchup back in April, as Lincoln-Way Central made off with an 8-0 win. Do the Knights have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Boilermakers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
