Riverside hasn't had much luck against Mid Valley recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Vikings will be playing at home against the Spartans at 4:30 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Having struggled with four losses in a row, Riverside turned things around against Lakeland on Monday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-7 win over the Chiefs. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Addie Smith spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and three unearned) runs on seven hits.
At the plate, Kate Reynolds was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Mackenzie Keller, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Mid Valley put another one in the bag on Monday to keep their undefeated season alive. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Holy Cross, sneaking past 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Spartans have posted since May 29, 2024.
Mid Valley also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Ava Hazelton gave up just two earned runs on four hits and racked up 12 Ks. Hazelton has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Parker Bennett, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two RBI, and one double. Mackenzie Adolfson was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
Mid Valley pushed their record up to 10-0-1 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.4 runs over those games. As for Riverside, their win was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 3-5.
Wednesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Riverside has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .446. However, it's not like Mid Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .494. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Riverside couldn't quite finish off Mid Valley in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 and fell 5-3. Will the Vikings have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
