Bloomington is on a four-game streak of home wins, while Champaign Central is on a six-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Purple Raiders will host the Maroons at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Bloomington's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They blew past Richwoods 6-0. While the Purple Raiders didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Reilly Vetter
| 04/24/25 vs Richwoods | 18 |
| 04/22/25 @ Normal West | 9 |
| 04/15/25 vs Bloomington Central Catholic | 19 |
| 04/11/25 vs Urbana | 14 |
| 04/03/25 @ Mahomet-Seymour | 14 |
| + 6 more games |
Reilly Vetter was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 18 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run. That's the most doubles she has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, Mara Copes was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Lauren Shuey, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Champaign Central got the win against Richwoods on Tuesday by a conclusive 15-0. The Maroons might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten games by ten runs or more this season.
Like Bloomington, Champaign Central also got a great game from a two-way player: Haley Helm. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Helm was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one double. That stolen base marked the first that she has snagged this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jaila Davis, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Kennedy Hedrick, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Champaign Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in 15 consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Bloomington's victory bumped their record up to 9-2. As for Champaign Central, their win bumped their record up to 12-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bloomington has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 14.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Champaign Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 10.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
