The Loudoun County Captains will venture away from home to challenge the Loudoun Valley Vikings at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Loudoun County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
Loudoun County's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They walked away with a 3-0 victory over Broad Run. The win continues a trend for the Captains in their matchups with the Spartans: they've now won three in a row.
The result came thanks to Keira Bertoglio's shutout, as she gave up just five hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Loudoun County's victory was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Abby Williams, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Olivia Eastlake also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Loudoun County hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Broad Run struck out nine times.
Meanwhile, Loudoun Valley entered their tilt with Heritage on Thursday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They walked away with an 8-5 win over the Pride.
The team relied heavily on Kayla Dunkerley, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Harlie Reich, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles, one stolen base, and one run.
Loudoun County's record is now 9-4. As for Loudoun Valley, they picked up their first road victory, bumping their record up to 4-5.
Loudoun Valley's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Loudoun County has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.9 hits per game. It's a different story for Loudoun Valley, though, as they've been averaging 9.2 hits. Given Loudoun County's sizable advantage in that area, the Vikings will need to find a way to close that gap.
Loudoun County was able to grind out a solid win over Loudoun Valley in their previous matchup back in May of 2023, winning 14-9. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Captains since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
