Baseball Game Preview: Rio Vikings vs. Heritage Christian Patriots

The Rio Vikings will venture away from home to square off against the Heritage Christian Patriots at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Rio has given up an average of 10.8 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Rio took a ten-run defeat the last time they faced off against Montello, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Vikings narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Hilltoppers 14-13. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Vikings' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.

Jack Becker made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. Becker was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. He has become a key player for Rio: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 0-14 otherwise.

Miles Hall

Hits (Career)

05/27/25 vs Montello	3
05/17/25 vs Parkview	1
05/17/25 vs Necedah	1
05/12/25 @ Montello	1
05/08/25 @ Randolph	1

In other batting news, Rio got a massive performance out of Miles Hall, who went 3-for-5 with four stolen bases, four RBI, and one run. Those three hits gave Hall a new career-high. Nolan Proebstle was another key player, earning three runs and four stolen bases.

Meanwhile, Heritage Christian entered their tilt with Kenosha Christian Life on Thursday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They came out on top against the Eagles by a score of 5-2.

Heritage Christian's record now sits at 11-8. As for Rio, their win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 3-15.