Softball Game Preview: Red River Roughriders vs. Valley City Hi-Liners

The Red River Roughriders will head out to challenge the Valley City Hi-Liners at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Valley City took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Red River, who comes in off a win.

Red River is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over Fargo South on Tuesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Roughriders with their most commanding win of the season.

Jocelyn Berg made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, five RBI, and one double. That double was her first of the season.

Red River always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .533. The last time their OBP was this high was was before the start of last season.

Shanley hit Valley City with a four-run third inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Hi-Liners lost 14-4 to the Deacons.

Bailey Leroux made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.

Valley City now has a losing record of 2-3. As for Red River, their record is now 4-6-1.

Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Red River hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .314. However, it's not like Valley City struggles in that department as they've averaged .390. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Everything went Red River's way against Valley City when the teams last played back in May of 2024, as Red River made off with a 13-1 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Roughriders since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.