Softball Recap: Valley Comes Up Short

Valley had lost 11 straight on the road dating back to last season, but on Friday they dropped their record down to 2-14 to make it 12. They came up short against the Frontier Cougars, falling 10-1. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Lumberjacks of the 12-2 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in March of 2024.

As for Frontier, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 14-2. They might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matches by six runs or more this season.

For Frontier's part, Kaycee Berentz made a splash while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 14 over seven innings pitched. Berentz has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in 14 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Isabella Grayson, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. Those two runs gave her a new career-high. Kate Congleton was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.

Coming up, Valley will square off against Paden City at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Wildcats have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 18.87 runs per game on average), something the Lumberjacks will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Frontier, they will challenge Belpre at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.