River Forest hasn't had much luck against Hanover Central recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Ingots will challenge the Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. River Forest has given up an average of 11.2 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Merrillville hit River Forest with a ten-run sixth inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Ingots fell just short of the Pirates by a score of 11-10. Even if the Ingots couldn't come away with the victory, the high-scoring effort was a great turnaround for their hitters, which had struggled int the games prior.
Mila Soto and Kailey Gott did some serious damage despite the final result: Soto went 3-for-5 with three runs and one stolen base, while Gott went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Llailyn Colon, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Hanover Central had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. They walked away with a 6-1 win over the Vikings.
Jillian DeYoung 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 12 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in 16 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Sienna Stilley was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Dallas Bowen, who went 2-for-4 with one home run.
Hanover Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 12 hits in three consecutive contests.
River Forest's loss dropped their record down to 6-13. As for Hanover Central, their victory bumped their record up to 20-6.
River Forest might still be hurting after the 15-0 defeat they got from Hanover Central in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Can the Ingots avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
