Valley View is on a four-game streak of home wins, while Kennett is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Valley View Blazers will take on the Kennett Indians at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Tuesday, Valley View earned a 5-1 victory over Searcy.
Riley Smith spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered one run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Ellie Dawson was excellent, scoring a run while going 1-for-2. Another player making a difference was Racey Talley, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Kennett put the finishing touches on their 17th blowout victory of the season on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Greenville with a sharp 17-1 win. That's two games straight that Kennett has won by exactly 16 runs.
Handley McAtee was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits over four innings pitched. McAtee was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, Hadley Wilson and Lauren Barton did most of the damage at the plate: Wilson went 4-for-4 with a home run, five RBI, and three runs, while Barton fired off four runs, four doubles, and five RBI while going 4-for-4. Kynsly McCaig was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-2.
Valley View's victory bumped their record up to 18-8. As for Kennett, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine contests, which somehow isn't as good as their 22-6 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Valley View has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Kennett struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.6. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Valley View took their win against Kennett when the teams last played back in March of 2019 by a conclusive 10-0. Does Valley View have another victory up their sleeve, or will Kennett turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
