Baseball Recap: Vale Vikings vs. McLoughlin Pioneers
Vale was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their fifth straight defeat. They lost 15-4 to the McLoughlin Pioneers. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Vale of the 13-2 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in May of 2023.
For McLoughlin's part, Javier Esparza was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out 15 over six innings pitched. Esparza has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't pitched less than five innings in three consecutive pitching appearances. Esparza was also big at the plate, scoring three runs while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, McLoughlin got a massive performance out of Cooper Yensen, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Marco Hernandez was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.
Vale's defeat dropped their record down to 4-15. As for McLoughlin, the victory was the sixth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 13-8.
While Vale had to take the loss, they won't have to wait long to give it another shot: the pair will be back at it again later today.
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