Guilford is 1-9 against Hononegah since April of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Vikings will welcome the Indians at 5:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Guilford headed into their last game having not scored more than two runs for three straight, but Freeport let them put that streak behind them. The Vikings never let the Pretzels get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory on Wednesday. Considering the Vikings have won seven contests by more than six runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Malia Welch
| 05/13/26 vs Freeport | 7 |
| 05/11/26 @ Harlem | 5 |
| 05/08/26 vs Belvidere | 5 |
| 05/06/26 @ Boylan Catholic | 9 |
Malia Welch was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Z'Niyah Tatum was excellent, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Those two RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Grace Henert, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs.
Meanwhile, Hononegah had just enough and edged out Harlem 3-2 on Wednesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Indians.
Irelyn O'Brien spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on five hits and racked up nine Ks. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.1 strikeouts per game.
Hononegah hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Harlem struck out nine times.
Hononegah's win bumped their record up to 22-6. As for Guilford, their victory bumped their record up to 10-13.
Guilford skirted past Hononegah 2-1 when the teams last played back in April. Do the Vikings have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Indians turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
