The Sheldon Huskies are taking a road trip to face off against the Vanden Vikings at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Sheldon is coming into the match hot, having won their last four games.
Sheldon hadn't beaten Franklin on the road since May 10, 2022 but that history sure didn't bother them on Friday. Sheldon walked away with a 4-1 victory over Franklin. That's two games straight that the Huskies have won by exactly three runs.
Micah Kennedy was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sinitalela Heleta, who went 1-for-4 with one home run. Madison Chapman also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Vanden never let their opponents score on Thursday. They put the hurt on Yamhill-Carlton with a sharp 12-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Vikings, who have now won three contests by ten runs or more so far this season.
Vanden let DJ Evans and KJ Horton run wild. Evans scored two runs while going 2-for-2, while Horton scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Amiya Clay, who scored a run while going 3-for-3.
Vanden kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 4-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Vanden has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. Sheldon's record is now 8-3.
Monday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Sheldon hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .348. However, it's not like Vanden struggles in that department as they've averaged .385. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Sheldon might still be hurting after the 7-1 loss they got from Vanden when the teams last played back in March of 2022. Can Sheldon avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
