Williams Valley is 5-0 against Panther Valley since April of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Williams Valley Vikings will head out on the road to challenge the Panther Valley Panthers at 4:30 p.m. Williams Valley is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 10.8 runs per game this season.
Williams Valley can now show off three landslide victories after their most recent matchup on Monday. They put the hurt on Line Mountain with a sharp 10-0 victory.
Sage Smeltz was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only two hits while striking out eight over six innings pitched. Smeltz was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ella Kobularik, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and a stolen base. Quin Smeltz was another key contributor, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
Panther Valley might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 10-9 to Mahanoy Area, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior. Panther Valley has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Mikayla Yuricheck made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 5-for-5 with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. Yuricheck is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: she's stolen at least two every time she's taken the field this season. Another player making a difference was Morgan Orsulak, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5.
Even though they lost, Panther Valley hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mahanoy Area struck out seven times.
Williams Valley's win was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-2. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.5 runs per game. As for Panther Valley, they now have a losing record at 1-2.
Panther Valley's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Williams Valley has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.5 hits per game. It's a different story for Panther Valley, though, as they've been averaging 9.7. Given Williams Valley's sizable advantage in that area, Panther Valley will need to find a way to close that gap.
Williams Valley took their victory against Panther Valley when the teams last played back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 17-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Williams Valley since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
