The Bloomington Purple Raiders will head out to take on the Centennial Chargers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Bloomington barely beat Danville the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Purple Raiders put the hurt on the Vikings with a sharp 9-2 win on Tuesday. The victory was familiar territory for the Purple Raiders, who have now won three games in a row.
Reilly Vetter
| 05/06/25 vs Danville | 14 |
| 05/02/25 @ Peoria Notre Dame | 10 |
| 04/29/25 vs Lincoln | 15 |
| 04/26/25 vs Champaign Central | 23 |
| 04/24/25 vs Richwoods | 18 |
| + 10 more games |
Reilly Vetter spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on two hits and racked up 14 Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Bloomington let Lauren Shuey and Abi Witt run wild. Shuey went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Witt went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs. That's the most RBI Shuey has posted since back in April of 2024. Mara Copes was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
Bloomington always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .543. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Centennial hadn't done well against Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Chargers were the clear victors by an 8-2 margin over the Falcons.
Zoe Goodreau spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on two hits and racked up 17 Ks.
On the hitting side, Annie Loschen was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Maiyah Flemons, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Bloomington's record is now 12-3. As for Centennial, their record now sits at 5-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bloomington has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 14.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Centennial struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bloomington skirted past Centennial 1-0 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Purple Raiders since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
