The Valley Falls Dragons will challenge the Centralia Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Valley Falls is coming into the game hot, having won their last four games.
Valley Falls picked up another tournament win on Saturday. They walked away with a 6-3 win over Jackson Heights.
Birkley Hernandez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits. Hernandez was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Cali Delong
| 05/02/26 vs Jackson Heights | 2 |
| 05/01/26 vs Atchison County | 1 |
| 04/30/26 @ Horton | 2 |
| 04/30/26 @ Horton | 1 |
Hernandez wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Cali Delong, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. Delong has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times she's played.
Valley Falls hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are 6-1 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, it may have taken nine innings to finish the job, but Centralia ultimately got the result they hoped for back in April. They won by a run and slipped past Onaga 13-12. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Buffaloes recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
The team relied heavily on Tava Gibbs, who fired off two home runs, four runs, and four RBI while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Ashlan Alderfer was another key player, going 4-for-5 with two stolen bases, two doubles, and two RBI.
Centralia's win bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Valley Falls, their victory bumped their record up to 10-8.
Centralia's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Valley Falls has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9 hits per game. It's a different story for Centralia, though, as they've been averaging 9.8 hits. Given Valley Falls' sizable advantage in that area, the Panthers will need to find a way to close that gap. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
