Illiana Christian held off a late Portage surge to secure a 6–5 home win on May 26, using steady mid‑game scoring and a balanced lineup to finish on top.
After falling behind 2–0 through two innings, the Vikings chipped away with a run in the fourth before breaking through in the fifth, where they pushed across three runs to take control. Two more runs in the sixth stretched the lead to 6–2, giving Illiana the cushion it needed before Portage mounted a three‑run rally in the seventh.
Senior Jonathan Sitter paced the Vikings’ offense, going 2‑for‑3, the only Illiana player with multiple hits. Hudson Post and Nick Neibert each drove in a run, while Nick DeBlock added pressure on the bases with two stolen bases. Illiana totaled six hits in the win.
On the mound, senior Micah McGuire earned the victory, working 4.2 innings and allowing three runs on three hits with three walks and one strikeout. Starter S. Bandstra delivered two innings with two runs allowed (one earned) and three strikeouts, and Sitter recorded the final out.
Illiana’s combination of timely hitting, opportunistic baserunning, and resilient pitching proved enough to withstand Portage’s final push and close out the one‑run victory.
