Gardner-South Wilmington has won four straight games at home, while Illinois Lutheran has won four straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Tuesday. The Panthers will welcome the Chargers at 4:30 p.m. Gardner-South Wilmington is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
It was a proper cat-fight when Gardner-South Wilmington faced off against St. Anne on Friday. The Panthers put the hurt on the Cardinals with a sharp 14-4 win. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Cardinals recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Jo Male
| 05/09/25 vs St. Anne | 3 |
| 05/08/25 @ Donovan | 2 |
| 04/09/25 @ Woodland | 2 |
| 05/06/25 vs Donovan | 1 |
| 05/03/25 vs Yorkville Christian | 1 |
Jo Male was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run over six innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in both of her plate appearances with three runs and one RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kayla Scheuber, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most runs she has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Maddie Simms, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI and two doubles.
Gardner-South Wilmington kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, after a string of seven wins, Illinois Lutheran's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They fell 10-6 to Momence.
Like Gardner-South Wilmington, Illinois Lutheran also got a great game from a two-way player: Lola Spada. She struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and seven unearned) runs off nine hits. Spada was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Alissia Sanchez was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with four stolen bases and three runs. Emma Nagle was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double.
Illinois Lutheran's defeat dropped their record down to 11-9. As for Gardner-South Wilmington, their win bumped their record up to 18-9.
Gardner-South Wilmington skirted past Illinois Lutheran 3-2 when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Chargers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
