Softball Game Preview: Irwin County Indians vs. Valwood Valiants

The Irwin County Indians will take on the Valwood Valiants at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Irwin County will be looking to extend their current 20-game winning streak.

For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Irwin County and Berrien meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Monday. The Indians sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-1 victory over the Rebels. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Indians have posted since September 16th.

Brooklyn Gordon spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on four hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Brynlee Brown, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI. Katie Alberson was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI.

Meanwhile, Valwood lost 7-1 to Terrell Academy on Tuesday. The defeat continues a trend for the Valiants in their meetings with the Eagles: they've now lost five in a row.

Valwood saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Abi Brooks, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one run.

Valwood's loss dropped their record down to 9-9. As for Irwin County, their victory bumped their record up to 22-2.

Irwin County was able to grind out a solid win over Valwood in their previous meeting back in September, winning 6-1. Do the Indians have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Valiants turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.