Evanston Softball Slugger on Fire

Niles North got an up-close look at its first playoff opponent Thursday.

While the Vikings came away with a 12-5 win over Evanston, they couldn’t have been comforted by how Anna Balch battered their pitching. The sophomore third baseman went 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.

But that wasn’t an aberration. Balch’s hit safely in her last 11 at-bats and has 17 hits in her last 18 at-bats with five doubles, three triples, a home run and 14 RBI. She comes into Saturday’s regular-season finale hitting .639.

Evanston gets another shot at Niles North on Wednesday in the semifinals of the Evanston Regional. The Wildkits are a dangerous No. 11 seed, while the 21-win Vikings are seeded 5th.