Aiken hasn't had much luck against Midland Valley recently, but that could start to change on Monday. Aiken will be playing in front of their home fans against Midland Valley at 6:00 p.m. The last three games Aiken has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Aiken is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They fell just short of Brookland-Cayce by a score of 25-24 on Thursday. That's two games in a row now that the Fighting Green Hornets have lost by just one run.
Maddie Zeigler made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and fired off two home runs, five RBI, and one double while going 5-for-5. The team also got some help courtesy of Autumn VanFossen, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Even though they lost, Aiken always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .622. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .515 or higher in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Midland Valley got the win against Spring Valley on Friday by a conclusive 20-6. The Mustangs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by seven runs or more this season.
Mallorie Smith made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 4.2 innings while giving up three earned runs off only two hits. What's more, she posted four strikeouts, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Midland Valley got a massive performance out of Bailey Seabolt, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. Seabolt also put up a triple, which was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Jordan Nelson, who scored two runs while going 3-for-5.
The victory made it two in a row for Midland Valley and bumps their season record up to 8-5. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.0 runs over those games. As for Aiken, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-8.
Aiken might still be hurting after the 10-0 loss they got from Midland Valley in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will Aiken have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
