The Mission Valley Vikings will head out to challenge the Burlington Wildcats at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Mission Valley sitting on four straight victories and Burlington on five.
Mission Valley is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past Marais des Cygnes Valley 19-5 on Monday. The Vikings might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six games by nine runs or more this season.
Keely Chesmore tossed a big game, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off three hits.
At the plate, Mission Valley got a massive performance out of Kailynn Jacobson, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. Natalie Hoffman also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Mission Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Burlington made easy work of Wellsville on Tuesday and carried off a 15-5 win. The Wildcats are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the fourth contest they've won by 6+ runs this season.
Grace Birk was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Hannah Sides was incredible, scoring four runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Those four runs gave her a new career-high. Carlee Cole was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.
Mission Valley pushed their record up to 6-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.8 runs over those games. As for Burlington, their record now sits at 5-0.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Mission Valley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .491. However, it's not like Burlington struggles in that department as they've averaged .546. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mission Valley might still be hurting after the 13-0 defeat they got from Burlington when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Vikings avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
