Deer Creek-Mackinaw hasn't had much luck against Tri-Valley recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Chiefs will head out to challenge the Vikings at 4:30 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Deer Creek-Mackinaw comes in on four and Tri-Valley on seven.
Deer Creek-Mackinaw will bounce into Friday's match after beating Lexington, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Chiefs came out on top against the Minutemen by a score of 9-5 on Wednesday. The game was the first time the Chiefs have beaten the Minutemen on their field since April 29, 2015.
Mackenzie Knowles
| 04/30/25 @ Lexington | 4 |
| 04/28/25 @ Tremont | 3 |
| 04/08/25 vs Farmington | 3 |
| 04/29/25 vs Peoria Notre Dame | 2 |
| 04/21/25 vs Heyworth | 2 |
Mackenzie Knowles made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off nine hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 4-for-5 with one home run, two runs, and one double. Those four hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Byrkleigh Kraft and Lexi Cottingham did most of the damage at the plate: Kraft went 4-for-5 with three runs, while Cottingham went 2-for-4 with three runs, one double, and one RBI. That's the most runs Cottingham has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Payton Schweigert, who went 1-for-2 with four RBI.
Deer Creek-Mackinaw was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .346 or higher in three consecutive games.
Tri-Valley came out on top against Heyworth on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run third inning. The Vikings took their contest against the Hornets 8-5.
Ellie Dehner looked comfortable as she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, Paige Fesler was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Zoey Whittaker, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Tri-Valley's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-2-1. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Deer Creek-Mackinaw, their record is now 12-6.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Deer Creek-Mackinaw hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. However, it's not like Tri-Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .341. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
