Riverdale is a perfect 9-0 against Upper Scioto Valley since April of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Falcons will be playing at home against the Rams at 5:00 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
While Riverdale's victory against Arcadia wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Falcons had just enough and edged out the Redskins 3-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Falcons have posted since May 16, 2024.
Evan Reiter
| 04/04/25 vs Waynesfield-Goshen | 3 |
| 04/16/25 @ Arcadia | 2 |
| 04/03/25 vs North Baltimore | 2 |
| 03/29/25 @ Hardin Northern | 1 |
Evan Reiter was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out ten over seven innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up a single earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Riverdale is undefeated when Reiter posts two or more runs, but 0-4 otherwise.
Reiter wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Lex Weber, who went 1-for-4 with one stolen base and one RBI. Owen Karcher also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Upper Scioto Valley). They blew past Ridgedale 17-7 on Tuesday. The Rams haven't had any issues with the Rockets recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Like Riverdale, Upper Scioto Valley also got a great game from a two-way player: Jesse Prater. On the mound, he pitched five innings while giving up just one earned (and six unearned) runs off five hits. Prater was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Wyatt Davis and Braylon Dunson did most of the damage at the plate: Davis scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances, while Dunson scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Those three runs gave Davis a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Beau Sanders, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Upper Scioto Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .605. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive games.
The win was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 3-4. As for Upper Scioto Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 2-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Riverdale has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Upper Scioto Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Riverdale's way against Upper Scioto Valley in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Riverdale made off with a 14-1 win. Will the Falcons repeat their success, or do the Rams have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
