Rio is 0-4 against Markesan since April of 2019 but things could change on Monday. The Vikings will look to defend their home field against the Hornets at 5:00 p.m. Rio has given up an average of 11.2 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Rio fell victim to Pardeeville and their airtight pitching crew last Thursday. They lost 23-0 to the Bulldogs.
Meanwhile, while Markesan put up plenty of runs on Friday, the same can't be said for Chilton. The Hornets blew past the Tigers 12-0. Considering the Hornets have won six matchups by more than nine runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Lucas Bruce was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Markesan let Jackson Laper and Benton VandeBerg run wild. Laper went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and one RBI, while VandeBerg went 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Those three runs gave VandeBerg a new career-high. Logan Lemke was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Markesan always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .586. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Chilton only posted an OBP of .222.
Markesan is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Rio, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-4.
Rio might still be hurting after the 10-4 loss they got from Markesan in their previous meeting back in April of 2025. Can the Vikings avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
