The Mission Valley Vikings will head out to take on the Council Grove Braves at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Mission Valley knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past five matches -- so hopefully Council Grove likes a good challenge.
Mission Valley is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Olpe with a sharp 23-3 win on Monday. The Vikings might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 13 games by eight runs or more this season.
Keely Chesmore looked comfortable as she tossed four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits.
Annie Bryan
| 05/05/25 @ Olpe | 3 |
| 05/05/25 @ Olpe | 1 |
| 04/24/25 @ West Franklin | 1 |
| 04/21/25 vs Rossville | 1 |
| 04/17/25 vs Chase County | 1 |
At the plate, Annie Bryan was a standout: she got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, two doubles, and one RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Josie Kraus was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one double.
Mission Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .700. They are a perfect 11-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Council Grove fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Hillsboro on Monday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell 6-3 to the Trojans. The Braves have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Kaedyn Litke put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over eight innings while giving up five earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs and two doubles.
In other batting news, Faith Blosser made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Mission Valley pushed their record up to 16-6 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.3 runs over those games. As for Council Grove, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-9.
Council Grove's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Mission Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .403. It's a different story for Council Grove, though, as they've only averaged .253. Will they be able to contain Mission Valley's hitters?
Mission Valley took their victory against Council Grove in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 13-3 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
