Tolono Unity has gone 6-1 against Illinois Valley Central recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Rockets will face off against the Grey Ghosts at 5:00 p.m. Tolono Unity will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
Tolono Unity will bounce into Friday's contest after beating St. Joseph-Ogden, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Rockets sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 win over the Spartans on Thursday. The game was the first time the Rockets have beaten the Spartans on their field since June 4, 2021.
Lindy Bates
| 05/08/25 @ St. Joseph-Ogden | 1 |
| 05/07/25 vs Mt. Zion | 0 |
| 05/03/25 vs Tri-Valley | 2 |
| 04/21/25 vs Bloomington Central Catholic | 1 |
Lindy Bates made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off nine hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Grace Bickers, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. That stolen base was her first of the season. Shelby Smith was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, Illinois Valley Central lost 13-5 to Lexington on Tuesday.
Morgan Ellington was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-4 with one home run. The team also got some help courtesy of Taylor Zannacker, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Tolono Unity pushed their record up to 23-4 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. The team dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 8 runs. As for Illinois Valley Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-11.
Everything went Tolono Unity's way against Illinois Valley Central when the teams last played back in May of 2024, as Tolono Unity made off with an 11-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rockets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
