Neuqua Valley has gone 8-2 against Naperville Central recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Wildcats will be playing in front of their home fans against the Redhawks at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Neuqua Valley and Naperville North meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Wednesday. The Wildcats came out on top against the Huskies by a score of 11-7.
Ava Drehs tossed a big game, striking out 19 batters over 7.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.
Tegan Spellerberg
| 04/23/25 @ Naperville North | 3 |
| 04/19/25 vs South Elgin | 2 |
| 04/14/25 vs Metea Valley | 2 |
| 05/07/24 @ Waubonsie Valley | 2 |
| 04/19/24 vs DeKalb | 2 |
At the plate, Tegan Spellerberg and Cora Dickson did most of the damage at the plate: Spellerberg went 3-for-7 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base, while Dickson went 4-for-6 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Those three hits gave Spellerberg a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Esha Argawal, who went 2-for-6 with two RBI and one double.
Neuqua Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.6 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games they've averaged 9.6.
Meanwhile, Naperville Central posted their closest victory since May 14, 2024 on Wednesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Waubonsie Valley, sneaking past 6-4. Surprisingly, this marked the Redhawks' fifth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Shea Meech spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on four hits and racked up ten Ks.
On the hitting side, Riley Silvers was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three doubles, two runs, and two RBI. Meredith Cann was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs.
Neuqua Valley's win bumped their record up to 7-8. As for Naperville Central, they now have a winning record of 9-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Neuqua Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Naperville Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Neuqua Valley beat Naperville Central 7-3 when the teams last played two weeks ago. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Redhawks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
