The Smoky Valley Vikings will take on the Hoisington Cardinals at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Monday, Smoky Valley beat Nickerson 10-6. The Vikings haven't had any issues with the Panthers recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
Rylie Neywick
| 05/05/25 vs Nickerson | 3 |
| 04/29/25 vs Lyons | 2 |
| 04/11/25 @ Hillsboro | 2 |
| 05/05/25 vs Nickerson | 1 |
| 04/25/25 vs Pratt | 1 |
Rylie Neywick made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 6.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with one RBI. Those three hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rylie Tolle, who fired off two home runs and four RBI while going 2-for-5. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Alexis Gordon was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Meanwhile, Hoisington waltzed into their game on Friday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 4-3 W against the Dragons. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last seven times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Ellie Crawford spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on four hits.
On the hitting side, Gabby Reif was excellent, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Smoky Valley's win bumped their record up to 5-13. As for Hoisington, their victory bumped their record up to 11-3.
Smoky Valley suffered a grim 8-1 defeat to Hoisington in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Will the Vikings have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
