Missisquoi Valley Thunderbirds (Swanton, VT) backers exited the stadium thrilled Tuesday as they saw their softball squad nip the visiting Essex Hornets (Essex Junction, VT), 8-1 in a league challenge.

The Thunderbirds now own a 1-0 record. They take the field next when they travel to Northeastern Clinton for a non-league challenge on Friday, April 26. Missisquoi Valley will battle a Cougars squad coming off a 12-1 league loss to Saranac (Saranac, NY). The Cougars record now stands at 3-1.

With the loss, Essex falls to 0-1 on the campaign. The Hornets travel to Colchester (Colchester, VT) to battle the Lakers in a Metro challenge on Tuesday, April 30. The Lakers enter the challenge with a record of 1-0.