The Normal University Pioneers will face off against the Glenwood Titans at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Normal University is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Decatur Eisenhower a 20-0 shutout on Tuesday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Pioneers needed considering they were shut out in their previous game.
Meera Sundaram was a standout: she went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one double. Another player making a difference was Ava Plattner, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Normal University was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .414. The last time their batting average was this high was in their last eight contests.
Meanwhile, Glenwood came tearing into Saturday's matchup with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.2 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Vikings 11-0. The result was nothing new for the Titans, who have now won ten games by six runs or more so far this season.
The result came thanks to Alyvia Streb's shutout, as she gave up just four hits and racked up nine Ks.
At the plate, Kailyn Barry was incredible, going 2-for-3 with three runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Ryleigh Kiel was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Normal University is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 10-11 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Glenwood, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-1.
Normal University might still be hurting after the 10-0 loss they got from Glenwood in their previous matchup back in March. Will the Pioneers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
