North Valleys is a perfect 10-0 against Sparks since May of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Panthers will take on the Railroaders at 3:00 p.m. North Valleys is coming into the game hot, having won their last seven games.
North Valleys' pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. Everything went their way against South Tahoe as they made off with a 14-0 victory. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten contests by seven runs or more this season.
Maddie Rebell
| 04/16/25 @ South Tahoe | 12 |
| 04/12/25 vs Hug | 3 |
| 04/02/25 @ Truckee | 7 |
| 03/29/25 vs Alhambra | 2 |
| 03/29/25 vs Livingston | 2 |
| + 8 more games |
North Valleys got a great performance from Maddie Rebell as she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts Rebell has posted since back in March.
On the hitting side, Karli Klein was a standout: she went 4-for-5 with five RBI, three runs, and one double. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Caylee Soap, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one stolen base.
North Valleys always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .579. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as South Tahoe only posted an OBP of .286.
Meanwhile, Sparks had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 17 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Saturday. They blew past the Colts 21-0. That looming 21-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Railroaders yet this season.
Bailey Hunden was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-2.
In other batting news, Sparks got a massive performance out of Ellise Henderson, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Julia Monteiro was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs.
North Valleys pushed their record up to 12-8 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Sparks, their record is now 5-6.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. North Valleys hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .429. However, it's not like Sparks struggles in that department as they've averaged .409. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
North Valleys took their win against Sparks in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 20-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
