The Neuqua Valley Wildcats will take on the West Aurora Blackhawks at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with five losses in a row, Neuqua Valley turned things around against Naperville Central on Thursday. They walked away with a 7-3 win over the Redhawks. Surprisingly, this marked the fourth straight game that the away team has come away the victor.
Ava Drehs spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one walk any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Krista Waldusky and Ashley Pape did most of the damage at the plate: Waldusky went 2-for-3 with four RBI and one double, while Pape got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. That's the most runs Pape has posted since back in April of 2024. Nalia Clifford was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, West Aurora made easy work of Bartlett on Thursday and carried off a 12-5 victory. The win continues a trend for the Blackhawks in their matchups with the Hawks: they've now won nine in a row.
West Aurora now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Neuqua Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 3-5.
Neuqua Valley came out on top in a nail-biter against West Aurora when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 7-5. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Blackhawks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
