vs
| 04/08/26 - Away | 7-10 L |
| 05/03/25 - Neutral | 13-0 W |
| 04/30/25 - Away | 9-10 L |
| 04/09/25 - Home | 5-17 L |
| 04/24/24 - Home | 15-5 W |
| + 5 more games |
Valparaiso and Portage are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2022, but likely not for long. The Vikings will welcome the Indians at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Valparaiso has given up an average of 6.7 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Valparaiso fell victim to Crown Point and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They lost 11-0 to the Bulldogs. The Vikings haven't had much luck with the Bulldogs recently, as the team has come up short the last nine times they've met.
Portage never got on the board in their matchup on Saturday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Merrillville on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Pirates with a sharp 15-2 victory. Considering the Indians have won four matchups by more than nine runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Maddy Fadely made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and only one walk). Those seven strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Erin Fausch was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since April 4th. Maddy Allums was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI.
Portage hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Portage now has a winning record of 7-6. As for Valparaiso, their loss dropped their record down to 8-5.
Portage's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Valparaiso has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10 hits per game. It's a different story for Portage, though, as they've been averaging 9.5 hits. Given Valparaiso's sizable advantage in that area, the Indians will need to find a way to close that gap.
Valparaiso couldn't quite get it done against Portage when the teams last played on April 8th as they fell 10-7. Will the Vikings have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
