The Mater Dei Knights will venture away from home to face off against the Effingham Hearts at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Mater Dei is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.5 runs per game this season.
On Saturday, Mater Dei earned a 10-5 win over Flora.
Maddy Huels
| 05/03/25 @ Flora | 3 |
| 04/06/24 @ St. Anthony | 2 |
| 04/28/25 vs Centralia | 1 |
| 04/17/25 vs Nashville | 1 |
| 04/16/25 vs Belleville East | 1 |
Maddy Huels and Emma Diekemper did most of the damage at the plate: Huels went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI, while Diekemper went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one triple. Those three stolen bases gave Huels a new career-high. Lynn Shirley also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Meanwhile, Effingham waltzed into their matchup on Friday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They skirted past the Trojans 9-7. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Hearts have posted since April 12th.
Effingham got a massive performance out of Ryley Engel, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Alyssa Martin was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Effingham kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Effingham pushed their record up to 12-6 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.2 runs over those games. As for Mater Dei, the win got them back to even at 7-7-1.
Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Mater Dei hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .344. However, it's not like Effingham struggles in that department as they've averaged .341. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mater Dei came out on top in a nail-biter against Effingham in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, sneaking past 5-4. Do the Knights have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Hearts turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
