The Vallivue Falcons will take on the Middleton Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Vallivue sitting on six straight wins and Middleton on three.
Vallivue proved they can win big on Tuesday (they won by ten) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Skyview, sneaking past 8-7.
Sophia Kassotis was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4. Abbie Egglston was another key player, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
Vallivue always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .514 or higher in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Middleton faced Nampa in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Wednesday. The Vikings put the hurt on the Bulldogs with a sharp 14-1 victory. Considering the Vikings have won ten games by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Middleton also got a great performance from Libby Garcia as she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. Garcia has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Kenadi Whitlow was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with one home run and four RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. Ashlynn Pohl also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Vallivue pushed their record up to 14-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Middleton, their record is now 17-3.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Vallivue hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .439. However, it's not like Middleton struggles in that department as they've averaged .352. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Vallivue came out on top in a nail-biter against Middleton when the teams last played back in March, sneaking past 11-9. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Falcons since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
