Baseball Game Preview: Geneva Vikings vs. St. Charles North North Stars

For the second straight game, Geneva will face off against St. Charles North. The Vikings will face off against the North Stars at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.

Geneva is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering St. Charles North just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Saturday. They took an 11-7 hit to the loss column at the hands of the North Stars.

For St. Charles North's part, Matt Ritchie made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over six innings while giving up four earned runs off eight hits (and not a single walk). Ritchie has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one run and one double. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ty Heimbuch, who fired off two home runs and five RBI while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Those two home runs gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Mason Netcel, who went 2-for-4 with three runs and two doubles.

St. Charles North kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.

St. Charles North has been performing well recently as they've won 13 of their last 17 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-11 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games. As for Geneva, their defeat dropped their record down to 22-10.

Both Geneva and St. Charles North just can't seem to miss. The Vikings have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.1 hits per game. However, it's not like St. Charles North struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.1 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.