Markesan is a perfect 4-0 against Rio since April of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Hornets are taking a road trip to square off against the Vikings at 5:00 p.m. Markesan's pitching crew has only allowed 3.6 runs per game this season, so Rio's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Markesan's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. Everything went their way against Chilton as they made off with a 12-0 victory. The Hornets might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six contests by ten runs or more this season.
Lucas Bruce was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Benton VandeBerg
| 05/01/26 vs Chilton | 3 |
| 04/20/26 vs Ripon | 2 |
| 04/16/26 @ Fall River | 2 |
| 04/13/26 vs Fall River | 2 |
| 04/09/26 vs Montello | 2 |
In other batting news, Markesan let Jackson Laper and Benton VandeBerg run wild. Laper went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and one RBI, while VandeBerg went 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Those three runs gave VandeBerg a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Logan Lemke, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Markesan was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .538. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Rio was not able to break out of their rough patch last Thursday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss dating back to last season. They came up short against Pardeeville, falling 23-0.
The win made it two in a row for Markesan and bumps their season record up to 10-4. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.5 runs over those games. As for Rio, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-4.
Rio's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Markesan hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. It's a different story for Rio, though, as they've only averaged .102. Will they be able to contain Markesan's hitters?
Markesan got the 'W' when the teams last played back in April of 2025 against Rio by a conclusive 10-4 score. Will the Hornets repeat their success, or do the Vikings have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
