Softball Recap: Velva/Drake/Anamoose Comes Up Short in High-Profile Matchup with Horace

Velva/Drake/Anamoose faced Horace in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Aggies fell just short of Horace by a score of 5-4. The Aggies' defeat signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.

Grace Balas spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and one unearned) runs on six hits and racked up 13 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 11 consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Velva/Drake/Anamoose saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Leah Volochenko, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Another was Tessa Clemens, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Velva/Drake/Anamoose's loss dropped their record down to 13-3. As for Horace, they have been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Velva/Drake/Anamoose will face off against Bottineau at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Horace, they will head out to square off against Devils Lake at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.