The Peoria Notre Dame Irish are taking a road trip to square off against the Champaign Central Maroons at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Peoria Notre Dame barely beat St. Teresa the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Irish were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over the Bulldogs on Thursday. With that victory, the Irish brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
The team relied heavily on Ella Tady, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Jolie Mingus also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Peoria Notre Dame was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .310 or higher in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Champaign Central came tearing into Friday's contest with ten straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.2 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They never let the Panthers get on the board and left with an 11-0 win.
Champaign Central let Grace Bandy and Olivia Roundtree run wild. Bandy went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Roundtree earned two RBI, two runs, and two stolen bases. Bandy is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Jaila Davis, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Peoria Notre Dame has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 12-11 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Champaign Central, they pushed their record up to 20-1 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home.
Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Peoria Notre Dame hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .316. However, it's not like Champaign Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .420. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Peoria Notre Dame came up short against Champaign Central when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 4-0. Can the Irish avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
