Softball Game Preview: Caldwell Cougars vs. Vallivue Falcons

Caldwell hasn't had much luck against Vallivue recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. Caldwell will head out on the road to square off against Vallivue at 5:00 p.m. Caldwell has given up an average of 6.6 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Caldwell came up short against Bishop Kelly on Tuesday, falling 11-3.

Caldwell saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Bristol Runnels, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That home run was Runnels' first of the season.

Meanwhile, Vallivue faced Middleton in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. Vallivue narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Middleton 11-9. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Falcons.

Vallivue got a massive performance out of Evonny Gonzales, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those two doubles gave Gonzales a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Sophia Kassotis, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.

Vallivue pushed their record up to 7-2 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.3 runs over those games. As for Caldwell, their loss dropped their record down to 4-3.

Caldwell couldn't quite get it done against Vallivue in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 as they fell 7-3. Can Caldwell avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.