The South Bend Riley Wildcats will take on the La Porte Slicers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
South Bend Riley was handed a heart-breaking two-run loss in their last matchup, but they sure didn't let that happen against Peru on Friday. The Wildcats put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 18-3 victory.
ELLIANA GONZALES
| 05/09/25 @ Peru | 7 |
| 05/06/25 vs South Bend Saint Joseph | 6 |
| 04/29/25 @ New Prairie | 6 |
| 04/26/25 @ Elkhart Christian Academy | 13 |
| 04/25/25 @ Argos | 11 |
| 04/23/25 @ Leo | 5 |
ELLIANA GONZALES made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up three earned runs off seven hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, South Bend Riley got a massive performance out of VICTORYA HARMON, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. That's the most hits HARMON has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was CHLOE WHITMER, who went 3-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles.
South Bend Riley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .514. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask La Porte). Everything went their way against Merrillville on Wednesday as they made off with a 20-5 win.
Like South Bend Riley, La Porte also got a great game from a two-way player: Addy Bennitt. She struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Bennitt was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Shayla Sorg was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Madi Squire was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
The victory got South Bend Riley back to even at 9-9. As for La Porte, the win got them back to even at 10-10.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. South Bend Riley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .345. However, it's not like La Porte struggles in that department as they've averaged .374. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
South Bend Riley beat La Porte 6-3 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Slicers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
