The Deer Creek-Mackinaw Chiefs will challenge the Peoria Notre Dame Irish at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Deer Creek-Mackinaw is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.3 runs per game this season.
Deer Creek-Mackinaw will bounce into Tuesday's contest after beating Tremont, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. The Chiefs blew past the Turks 16-5 on Monday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Chiefs.
Mackenzie Knowles
| 04/28/25 @ Tremont | 9 |
| 04/25/25 vs Fisher | 8 |
| 04/23/25 vs LeRoy | 5 |
| 04/17/25 @ Brimfield | 4 |
| 04/16/25 @ Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley | 7 |
| + 9 more games |
Mackenzie Knowles made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over six innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.2 strikeouts per game. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted over her last 12 games.
In other batting news, Rudy Gilbert was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Payton Schweigert, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs.
Deer Creek-Mackinaw was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .438. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Peoria Notre Dame beat Centennial 5-2 on Saturday. The Irish haven't had any issues with the Chargers recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Lexie Dallinger-Eaker spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on five hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Ella Tady, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Avery Ginglen, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Deer Creek-Mackinaw's win bumped their record up to 10-6. As for Peoria Notre Dame, they now have a winning record of 8-7.
Peoria Notre Dame's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Deer Creek-Mackinaw has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.4 hits per game. It's a different story for Peoria Notre Dame, though, as they've been averaging 8.9 hits. Given Deer Creek-Mackinaw's sizable advantage in that area, the Irish will need to find a way to close that gap.
Deer Creek-Mackinaw took their victory against Peoria Notre Dame in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 17-0 score. Will the Chiefs repeat their success, or do the Irish have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
