The Illiana Christian Vikings are taking a road trip to face off against the Hanover Central Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Illiana Christian's pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so Hanover Central's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Tuesday, Illiana Christian beat Griffith 6-3. The victory continues a trend for the Vikings in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now won nine in a row.
Cayden Petersen spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on four hits and racked up 14 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
Lydia VanderWoude
| 04/29/25 vs Griffith | 5 |
| 04/28/25 @ Griffith | 3 |
| 05/10/24 @ Hammond Bishop Noll | 3 |
| 04/23/25 @ Beecher | 2 |
| 05/25/24 vs North Newton | 2 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Lydia VanderWoude, who went 1-for-3 with five stolen bases and three runs. Those five stolen bases gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Emmy Jansma, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Meanwhile, Hanover Central got the win against Highland on Monday by a conclusive 14-6. The Wildcats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matchups by eight runs or more this season.
Jillian Deyoung made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Deyoung was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with four RBI, one run, and one double.
In other pitching news, Elle Mowry looked comfortable as she pitched four innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits.
Back at the plate, Sienna Stilley was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. Rebecca Ferguson also deserves some recognition as she launched her first home run of the season.
Hanover Central hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
The win made it two in a row for Hanover Central and bumps their season record up to 7-4. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.5 runs over those games. As for Illiana Christian, their record now sits at 7-5.
Illiana Christian's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's game. The Vikings have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Hanover Central, though, as they've been averaging only 0.5 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Illiana Christian continue to outrun the ball? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
