Baseball Game Preview: Waterloo Vikings vs. McDonald Blue Devils

For the second straight game, Waterloo will face off against McDonald. The Vikings will head out to take on the Blue Devils at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Waterloo hasn't scored more than a single run for three games straight, a trend the squad is eager to reverse.

McDonald hit Waterloo with a seven-run fourth inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Vikings came up short against the Blue Devils, falling 12-1.

For McDonald's part, Brady Shobel looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over four innings pitched. Shobel has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, McDonald let Jaxson Candel and Brady Klockner run wild. Candel went 1-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Klockner went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. McDonald is undefeated when Klockner posts two or more runs, but 1-2 otherwise. Nick Larson was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

McDonald has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season. The team dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 13.2 runs. As for Waterloo, their loss dropped their record down to 1-7.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Waterloo has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like McDonald struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.