Central hasn't had much luck against St. Charles East recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Rockets are taking a road trip to challenge the Fighting Saints at 4:30 p.m.
Central is headed into Friday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fourth straight game on Wednesday. They took a 4-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of Hampshire.
Central got a good showing from Maddy Kaczmar, who pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
At the plate, Central saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Addisyn Petersen, who went 1-for-2 with one run and one double.
St. Charles East never got on the board in their matchup on Wednesday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Batavia on Thursday. They blew past the Bulldogs 13-0. Considering the Fighting Saints' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
The result came thanks to Makayla Van Dinther's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up 15 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Alyse Price was a standout: she went 3-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Addison Wolf, who went 2-for-4 with five RBI, one run, and one double.
St. Charles East kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They are a perfect 10-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
St. Charles East's record now sits at 17-14. As for Central, their loss dropped their record down to 13-19.
Central couldn't quite get it done against St. Charles East when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 3-0. Can the Rockets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
