Softball Game Preview: Minneota Vikings vs. Dawson-Boyd Blackjacks

By Team Reports May 6, 2025, 12:14am

Softball Preview: Minneota Vikings vs. Dawson-Boyd Blackjacks

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Minneota is a perfect 3-0 against Dawson-Boyd since May of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Vikings will square off against the Blackjacks at 4:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Minneota has seven straight victories, Dawson-Boyd has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

While Minneota's win against Lakeview wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Vikings had just enough and edged out the Lakers 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Vikings have posted since April 12th.

Madison Hennen

Batters Struck Out

05/02/25 vs Lakeview8
05/02/25 @ Lakeview13
04/29/25 vs Renville County West13
04/22/25 vs Tracy-Milroy-Balaton14
04/17/25 vs Russell-Tyler-Ruthton12
+ 5 more games

Madison Hennen made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over 3.2 innings while giving up three earned runs off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Courtney Antony, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one triple, and two RBI. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high.

Minneota always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .515. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .500 or higher in four consecutive matchups.

Renville County West hit Dawson-Boyd with a seven-run second inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Blackjacks came up short against the Jaguars, falling 11-1.

Minneota pushed their record up to 9-1 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.6 runs over those games. As for Dawson-Boyd, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-7.

Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Minneota hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. However, it's not like Dawson-Boyd struggles in that department as they've averaged .331. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Minneota beat Dawson-Boyd 3-0 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.

Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps