The Mattoon Greenwave will challenge the Champaign Central Maroons at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Mattoon will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Tuesday, then bounced right back against Shelbyville on Friday. The Greenwave put the hurt on the Rams with a sharp 14-2 victory. The Greenwave not only won on Friday, but they posted their biggest win since March 20th.
Sydney Starwalt
| 04/11/25 @ Shelbyville | 4 |
| 04/07/25 vs Robinson | 2 |
| 03/28/25 vs Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg | 1 |
| 03/25/25 vs Newton | 3 |
| 05/11/24 @ Casey-Westfield | 1 |
| 05/06/24 vs Cumberland | 4 |
Sydney Starwalt made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching five innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. What's more, she posted four strikeouts, the most she's had since back in May of 2024. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Lexi Murdock and Kynlee McGraw did most of the damage at the plate: Murdock scored three runs and stole four bases while going 3-for-4, while McGraw went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. That's the most hits McGraw has posted since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Alana Perez, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Champaign Central strolled into their game on Saturday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They never let Peoria get on the board and left with a 21-0 win. Considering the Maroons have won six games by more than nine runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Mattoon, Champaign Central also got a great game from a two-way player: Maisie Bowers. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Bowers was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, Champaign Central got a massive performance out of Molly Kloeppel, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Kloeppel also put up a triple, which was her first of the season. Kaitlyn Helm was another key player, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two triples, three RBI, and two runs.
Champaign Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 19 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in ten consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Champaign Central pushed their record up to 8-0 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.0 runs over those games. As for Mattoon, their victory bumped their record up to 4-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Mattoon has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Champaign Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Mattoon took their win against Champaign Central in their previous matchup back in March of 2023 by a conclusive 17-1 score. Do the Greenwave have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Maroons turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
