Softball Game Preview: Hopewell Vikings vs. Moon Area Tigers

The Hopewell Vikings will head out on the road to challenge the Moon Area Tigers at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Hopewell's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Moon Area's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Hopewell made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Central Valley, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Hopewell blew past Central Valley 14-8 on Friday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Vikings considering their two-run performance the matchup before.

Victoria Mann was a standout: she fired off two home runs, two stolen bases, and three runs while going 3-for-5. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in March of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Kara Barkovich, who fired off two home runs and five RBI while going 2-for-4.

Hopewell was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .394. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Central Valley only posted a batting average of .240.

Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Moon Area duked it out with Blackhawk on Thursday. Moon Area lost 10-2 to Blackhawk. The game marked the Tigers' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Moon Area dropped their record down to 3-2 with the loss, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Hopewell, they now also have a winning record of 3-2.

Moon Area's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hopewell hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .320. It's a different story for Moon Area, though, as they've only averaged .239. Will they be able to contain Hopewell's hitters?

Hopewell came up short against Moon Area when the teams last played back in April of 2017, falling 11-8. Can Hopewell avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.