Vanden is 10-0 against Fairfield since March of 2021, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Vanden Vikings will head out on the road to square off against the Fairfield Falcons at 4:00 p.m. Vanden knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy run totals in its past three games -- so hopefully Fairfield likes a good challenge.
On Tuesday, it was a hard-fought matchup, but Vanden had to settle for an 11-10 defeat against Vacaville.
Maalia Cherry and Mia Zabat stepped up to the plate in a big way. Cherry went 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBI, while Zabat went 1-for-3 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Kiah Silva, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Fairfield has not done well against Rodriguez recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. Fairfield narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Rodriguez 13-12. The high-scoring effort was just what Fairfield needed considering they were shutout in their previous contest.
Hallee Winschell was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and a triple. Another player making a difference was Claudia Lucero, who scored three runs while going 2-for-5.
Vanden's loss dropped their record down to 12-5. As for Fairfield, their win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 6-11.
Fairfield's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Vanden has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Fairfield, though, as they've been averaging 10.8. Given Vanden's sizable advantage in that area, Fairfield will need to find a way to close that gap.
Vanden took their victory against Fairfield when the teams last played back in April by a conclusive 12-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for Vanden since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
