Baseball Recap: Valmeyer Takes a Loss

Valmeyer extended their losing streak to four on Tuesday, dropping them down to 11-17. They took an 8-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Maryville Christian Lions. The Pirates were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Lions apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in May of 2023.

Valmeyer saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Evan Hill, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.

As for Maryville Christian, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 13-10. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games.

On Maryville Christian's side, Bruce Portell made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over 4.1 innings while giving up four earned runs off three hits. Those nine strikeouts gave Portell a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two RBI and one double.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Grayson Dittman, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jackson Peno, who went 1-for-2 with two runs.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming contests. Valmeyer will head out to square off against Red Bud at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. As for Maryville Christian, they will venture away from home to challenge New Athens at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.