Softball Game Preview: Normal University Pioneers vs. Tri-Valley Vikings

The Normal University Pioneers will head out to take on the Tri-Valley Vikings at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Normal University will be strutting in after a victory while Tri-Valley will be coming in after a loss.

Normal University took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They put the hurt on Sacred Heart-Griffin with a sharp 7-1 win.

Meanwhile, Tri-Valley unfortunately witnessed the end of their five-game winning streak on Wednesday. They fell just short of Westville by a score of 10-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Vikings have suffered since April 14th.

Paige Fesler made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two doubles. The team also got some help courtesy of Elle Fesler, who went 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base.

Tri-Valley's loss dropped their record down to 20-5-1. As for Normal University, their victory bumped their record up to 12-16.

Normal University skirted past Tri-Valley 2-0 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Pioneers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.