It'll be a Battle of the Birds when Vallivue Falcons take on Skyview Hawks at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. Vallivue is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Vallivue barely beat Emmett the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Falcons blew past the Huskies 20-3 on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Falcons, who have now won seven matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
Eli Daniel
| 04/02/25 @ Emmett | 9 |
| 03/21/25 vs Moscow | 3 |
| 03/20/25 vs Century | 3 |
| 03/30/24 @ Marsing | 3 |
| 03/25/25 @ Minico | 2 |
Eli Daniel made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off three home runs and nine RBI while going 4-for-4. Those nine RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jayden Cagel, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Cooper Crutcher also deserves some recognition as he launched his first home run of the season.
Vallivue kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in seven consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Skyview has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 3.27 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Wednesday. They lost 10-4 to Bishop Kelly. The Hawks' defeat signaled the end of their five-game winning streak.
Mason Krahn made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Tyler Russell, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Vallivue's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-0. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Skyview, their loss was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 7-3-1.
Skyview's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Vallivue hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .387. It's a different story for Skyview, though, as they've only averaged .237. Will they be able to contain Vallivue's hitters?
Vallivue came up short against Skyview when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 9-6. Can the Falcons avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
