The Illiana Christian Vikings will head out on the road to challenge the South Bend St. Joseph Huskies at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Illiana Christian took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Hammond Bishop Noll a 10-0 shutout. The win was some much needed relief for Illiana Christian as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
Gavin Meyer was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meyer was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with three RBI, a triple, and a run.
In other pitching news, Armaan Sen looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive pitching appearances.
Back at the plate, Isaac VanderWoude was incredible, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, a triple, and a run. Tyler Balkema was another key contributor, scoring two runs.
Meanwhile, South Bend St. Joseph's hitters rose to the challenge against a Falcons pitching crew that boasted an average of only 3.95 runs allowed on Wednesday. Everything went South Bend St. Joseph's way against Glenn as South Bend St. Joseph made off with a 12-4 victory.
Jacob Snyder spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits.
On the hitting side, Joe Washburn was a standout: he scored three runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-5. Another player making a difference was Jayce Lee, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Illiana Christian pushed their record up to 12-7 with that win, which was their fifth straight at home. As for South Bend St. Joseph, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 15-5 record this season.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Illiana Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .499. However, it's not like South Bend St. Joseph struggles in that department as they've averaged .464. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Illiana Christian came up short against South Bend St. Joseph when the teams last played back in May of 2023, falling 6-1. Can Illiana Christian avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
