Merrillville hasn't had much luck against Valparaiso recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Pirates will look to defend their home field against the Vikings at 4:30 p.m. Merrillville will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each match than the last.
Merrillville is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past Hammond Central 11-4 on Monday. The Pirates not only won on Monday, but they posted their biggest win since April 13, 2024 (when they won 11-1).
Kaleb Henry was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. What's more, he posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
James Wood
| 04/28/25 vs Hammond Central | 3 |
| 04/24/25 vs Wheeler | 2 |
| 04/08/25 @ Chesterton | 2 |
| 04/19/25 @ Whiting | 1 |
| 04/12/25 vs Highland | 1 |
In other batting news, James Wood was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Darnell Bowles, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, one run, and one double.
Merrillville was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .438. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, after a string of five wins, Valparaiso's good fortune finally ran out on Saturday. They fell 5-2 to Columbus East.
Valparaiso also got a good showing from Kellan Hosek, who didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched.
Merrillville's win bumped their record up to 3-9. As for Valparaiso, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Merrillville has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Valparaiso struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Merrillville suffered a grim 13-0 defeat to Valparaiso when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Pirates avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
