Minooka is on a six-game streak of home wins, while Rock Island is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Indians will host the Rocks at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Minooka 3.9, Rock Island 2.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Minooka had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the seven-run drubbing they dealt Plainfield East on Thursday. The Indians were the clear victors by an 8-1 margin over the Bengals. Considering the Indians have won ten matches by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Emma Best looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 15 consecutive appearances.
Gracie Anderson
| 05/08/25 vs Plainfield East | 3 |
| 05/05/25 vs Joliet West | 2 |
| 04/30/25 vs Joliet Central | 2 |
| 04/24/25 vs Bolingbrook | 2 |
| 04/21/25 @ Plainfield North | 2 |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Gracie Anderson, who went 3-for-4 with one double and one RBI. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Addisonn Crumly, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one run.
Minooka kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Thursday Rock Island sidestepped Geneseo for a 6-5 win. The victory continues a trend for the Rocks in their matchups with the Maple Leafs: they've now won four in a row.
Lilly McDaniel made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off four hits. McDaniel was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, AJ Lincoln was incredible, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was A'Rion Lonergan, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Minooka has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine games. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-8 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.4 runs on average over those games. As for Rock Island, their victory bumped their record up to 18-8.
Both Minooka and Rock Island just can't seem to miss. The Indians have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.2 hits per game. However, it's not like Rock Island struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.6 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Minooka came out on top in a nail-biter against Rock Island when the teams last played back in May of 2024, sneaking past 2-0. Will the Indians repeat their success, or do the Rocks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
