Lincoln is 8-1 against Valley Christian since May of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. The Lincoln Fighting Zebras will be playing in front of their home fans against the Valley Christian Lions at 6:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Lincoln comes in on three and Valley Christian on four.
Lincoln's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They put the hurt on Ponderosa with a sharp 8-0 win.
Not much got past Landyn Plaut, who gave up just four hits and racked up six Ks to keep Ponderosa off the board.
At the plate, Lincoln let Kenny Winters and Jake Redding loose on the outfield. Winters scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4, while Redding went 2-for-3 with four RBI and a double. Another player making a difference was Jackson Cook, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Valley Christian stacked an 11th blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Thursday. They were the clear victor by an 11-2 margin over Mesa Verde.
Nathan Erickson made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 18 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). Erickson has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. Erickson was also big at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and a triple.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Nick Befort, who went 2-for-2 with four RBI, a stolen base, and a run. Josh Yuen was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Lincoln is on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 15 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 16-6-1 record this season. As for Valley Christian, their victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Lincoln has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Valley Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.3. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Lincoln skirted past Valley Christian 4-3 in their previous meeting back in April of 2023. Does Lincoln have another victory up their sleeve, or will Valley Christian turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
