Clifton Central has gone a perfect 10-0 against Donovan recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Comets will square off against the Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with 11 losses in a row, Clifton Central turned things around against Illinois Lutheran on Monday. They blew past the Chargers 17-0. The Comets' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
| 04/20/26 @ Illinois Lutheran | 6 |
| 04/10/26 @ Paxton-Buckley-Loda | 3 |
| 04/09/26 @ Grant Park | 3 |
| 03/21/26 vs St. Anthony | 2 |
Mallory Stewart made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). Those six strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Keira Donnelly was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two triples, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in May of 2025. Bella Kempen also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen bases of the season.
Clifton Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .595. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
While Donovan didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They walked away with a 6-1 victory over Momence on Monday. The win continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Momence Athletics: they've now won six in a row.
Laylah Lou Walters spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Bailey Henneike, who went 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base.
Clifton Central's victory was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-4 and their overall record up to 2-11. As for Donovan, their record now sits at 6-3.
Clifton Central got the 'W' when the teams last played back in May of 2025 against Donovan by a conclusive 11-1 score. Will the Comets repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
