Baseball Game Preview: Conemaugh Valley Blue Jays vs. Blacklick Valley Vikings

The Conemaugh Valley Blue Jays are taking a road trip to square off against the Blacklick Valley Vikings at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Conemaugh Valley's pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so Blacklick Valley's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Conemaugh Valley fell victim to Conemaugh Township and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They took a 4-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Indians. Having soared to a lofty 11 runs in the game before, the Blue Jays' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.

Conemaugh Valley saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nate Stiffler, who went 1-for-3 with one double. That double was Stiffler's first of the season.

Meanwhile, Blacklick Valley waltzed into their match on Thursday with seven straight wins... but they left with eight. They put the hurt on the Yellow Jackets with a sharp 15-0 victory. That 15 run margin sets a new team best for the Vikings this season.

Rylan Garver was incredible, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with five stolen bases and two runs. Those five stolen bases gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Collin Nedrich, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI and one double.

Blacklick Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .606. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Blacklick Valley pushed their record up to 8-1 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for Conemaugh Valley, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-4 record this season.

Conemaugh Valley couldn't quite get it done against Blacklick Valley when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 7-2. Can the Blue Jays avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.