Niles North hasn't had much luck against Maine West recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Vikings will take on the Warriors at 4:45 p.m. Niles North is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.8 runs per game this season.
Niles North took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They came out on top against Amundsen by a score of 9-6.
Isla Kapellas
| 05/13/25 vs Amundsen | 9 |
| 05/10/25 @ New Trier | 5 |
| 05/08/25 vs Niles West | 3 |
| 05/06/25 vs Vernon Hills | 7 |
| 05/03/25 @ Lake Forest | 4 |
| + 3 more games |
Isla Kapellas was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one stolen base.
In other batting news, Niles North got a massive performance out of Amaya Kang, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Sophia Espinoza, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Niles North always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .528. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Maine West had already won nine in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.4 runs) and they went ahead and made it ten on Tuesday. They walked away with a 6-2 win over the Wolves.
KAITLYN MARSH spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on nine hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, ABIGAYLE GARCIA was incredible, firing off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 4-for-4.
Maine West's victory was their 13th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-1. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for Niles North, their record is now 12-9.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Niles North hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 1 home runs per game. However, it's not like Maine West struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.9 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Niles North might still be hurting after the 11-0 loss they got from Maine West in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Can the Vikings avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
