The Caldwell Cougars will challenge the Vallivue Falcons at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Caldwell has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with five straight defeats, while Vallivue will come in with six straight wins.
Caldwell came up short against Bishop Kelly on Tuesday, falling 13-3.
Caldwell saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Julian Flores, who scored a run while going 3-for-3.
Meanwhile, Vallivue faced Skyview in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. The Falcons sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-7 victory over the Hawks. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Falcons have posted against the Hawks since May 3, 2018.
Gage Warrington looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, Vallivue let Cooper Crutcher and Aaron Rayo run wild. Crutcher scored a run while going 2-for-4, while Rayo scored a run while going 3-for-4. Carson Cyganik was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Vallivue pushed their record up to 19-1 with the victory, which was their 12th straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.1 runs over those games. As for Caldwell, their loss dropped their record down to 1-14.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Caldwell has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Vallivue struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Caldwell might still be hurting after the 21-1 defeat they got from Vallivue when the teams last played on April 1st. Will the Cougars have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
