The Valparaiso Vikings will square off against the Crown Point Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Valparaiso barely beat Munster the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Vikings were the clear victors by a 13-5 margin over the Mustangs on Friday. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Vikings' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Gordon Wineland looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits.
At the plate, Valparaiso let Gabe Bush and DJ Malloy run wild. Bush went 2-for-4 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one double, while Malloy scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Those four RBI gave Bush a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Maximus Reaume, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Crown Point entered their tilt with Harrison on Saturday with six consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with seven. They came out on top against the Raiders by a score of 7-3.
Logan Johnston looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Jaxtyn Alexander was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-4. Billy Chidsey was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
Crown Point pushed their record up to 7-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs over those games. As for Valparaiso, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Valparaiso has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Crown Point struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
