Baseball Game Preview: Hudsonville Eagles vs. Maple Valley Lions

The Hudsonville Eagles will challenge the Maple Valley Lions at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Hudsonville's pitching crew has only allowed two runs per game this season, so Maple Valley's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

On Thursday, Hudsonville narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Rockford 2-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Eagles have posted against the Rams since May 27, 2022.

Jackson Hammersmith spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up six Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Rickey Browley was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Harrison Phillips, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one run.

Maple Valley came out on top against Reading on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run fifth inning. The Lions walked away with a 9-4 win over the Rangers. The Lions haven't had any issues with the Rangers recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.

The win made it two in a row for Hudsonville and bumps their season record up to 13-3-1. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 2 run in those games. As for Maple Valley, their win bumped their record up to 3-5.