Baseball Game Preview: Otter Valley Otters vs. Hartford Hurricanes

Otter Valley is 1-9 against Hartford since June of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Otters will look to defend their home field against the Hurricanes at 4:30 p.m. Otter Valley is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.

Otter Valley is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Vermont's top teams: Brattleboro, who was ranked tenth at the time (Otter Valley was ranked 13th). The Otters came up short against the Bears on Friday, falling 9-3.

Jacob Warrell put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one hit in four consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, firing off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-3. Those home runs were his first of the season.

Warrell wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Nolan Quenneville, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.

The home team had won the previous seven meetings between Hartford and Bellows Falls, and Hartford kept the tradition alive. The Hurricanes came out on top against the Terriers by a score of 4-1 on Thursday.

Otter Valley's defeat dropped their record down to 5-4. As for Hartford, their win bumped their record up to 3-6.

Otter Valley's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's game. The Otters have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Hartford, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Otter Valley continue to outrun the ball?

Otter Valley came up short against Hartford when the teams last played last Thursday, falling 5-1. Will the Otters have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.