Baseball Game Preview: Valhalla Norsemen vs. Helix Highlanders

Valhalla hasn't had much luck against Helix recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Norsemen will take on the Highlanders at 4:00 p.m. Valhalla will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.

The home team had won the previous three meetings between Valhalla and Grossmont, and Valhalla kept the tradition alive. The Norsemen sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-6 win over the Foothillers on Thursday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Norsemen as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Helix, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They came out on top against El Capitan by a score of 5-2 on Friday. The win continues a trend for the Highlanders in their matchups with the Vaqueros: they've now won seven in a row.

Antoin Simpson made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one run.

In other pitching news, Sean Sherrod looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He is becoming a predictor of Helix's success: when he allows at most three earned runs the team is 7-3 (and 7-8 when he doesn't).

Simpson wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Alex Carbajal, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one RBI.

Helix's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-11. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.6 runs on average over those games. As for Valhalla, their record is now 7-18.

Valhalla skirted past Helix 3-1 in their previous meeting last Tuesday. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Norsemen since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.