The Illiana Christian Varsity Vikings were unable to overcome a late-game scoring burst from the Chesterton Varsity Trojans, ultimately falling by a final score of 7-2.
The game took place on Friday, May 8, at Chesterton High School.
Illiana hung close early, with senior Spencer Bandstra setting the tone on the mound. Bandstra worked the opening two innings, striking out two and allowing just one earned run while keeping Chesterton’s hitters largely in check. Senior Logan VanProoyen and Bandstra each contributed early hits, but the Vikings struggled to string together sustained offense against a dominant Chesterton starter who piled up eleven strikeouts across 6.2 innings.
Illiana finally broke through in the fifth when senior Tanner Post delivered the highlight of the afternoon—a towering solo home run that cleared left field and put the Vikings on the board. The momentum was short‑lived, however, as Chesterton answered with a decisive five‑run bottom half, capitalizing on timely hits and free passes to break the game open.
Freshman Hudson Post later added a run in the seventh, helping Illiana chip away late, but the deficit proved too steep. Despite the loss, the Vikings showed flashes of resilience at the plate and on the mound, with several underclassmen gaining valuable experience against a strong opponent.
