The Otter Valley Otters will square off against the Hartford Hurricanes at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Otter Valley is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Harwood a 24-0 shutout. The victory was familiar territory for the Otters, who have now won 11 matches in a row.
Sophie Parker made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high.
| 06/03/25 vs Harwood | 4 |
| 04/24/25 @ Rutland | 2 |
| 05/28/25 vs Woodstock | 1 |
| 05/22/25 @ Fair Haven | 1 |
| 04/22/25 vs Springfield | 1 |
In other batting news, Hannah Desabrais was a standout: she went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, four RBI, and one triple. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaylee Maloy, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI.
Otter Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .659. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Hartford got the win against Springfield on Wednesday by a conclusive 13-1. The Hurricanes haven't had any issues with the Cosmos recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Like Otter Valley, Hartford also got a great game from a two-way player: Serenitee Martel. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. Martel was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Hartford got a massive performance out of Faith Brown, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base. Haley Maxham was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Otter Valley's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-3. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Hartford, their victory bumped their record up to 11-5.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Otter Valley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .479. However, it's not like Hartford struggles in that department as they've averaged .509. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Otter Valley beat Hartford 8-3 in their previous meeting on Friday. Will the Otters repeat their success, or do the Hurricanes have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
