The Centennial Chargers will challenge the Champaign Central Maroons at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Centennial has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the game with three straight defeats, while Champaign Central will come in with 15 straight wins.
Centennial fell victim to Bloomington and their airtight pitching crew on Saturday. They came up short against the Purple Raiders, falling 10-0.
Meanwhile, Champaign Central owes their pitching crew a big pat on the back after their performance on Friday. Everything went their way against Newton as they made off with a 6-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Maroons, who have now won 11 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Haley Helm made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 15 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one walk in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one RBI.
In other batting news, Eden Harding and Mya De La Cruz did most of the damage at the plate: Harding went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double, while De La Cruz went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double. Harding 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.
Champaign Central was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .393. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Newton only posted a batting average of .000.
Champaign Central's win bumped their record up to 19-3-1. As for Centennial, their loss dropped their record down to 2-13.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Centennial has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Champaign Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Centennial came up short against Champaign Central in their previous meeting back in May of 2025, falling 5-0. Will the Chargers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
