Lowell and Valparaiso are an even 3-3 against one another since April of 2015, but likely not for long. The Lowell Red Devils will head out on the road to face off against the Valparaiso Vikings at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Lowell has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the game with three straight losses, while Valparaiso will come in with five straight wins.
On Thursday, it was a hard-fought match, but Lowell had to settle for an 8-7 defeat against Hanover Central.
Olivia Fuentes spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and four unearned) runs on ten hits and racked up six Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Ashlee Evans made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with two runs, a triple, and an RBI. Another player making a difference was Kaitlyn Williamson, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Valparaiso was able to grind out a solid victory over Portage on Thursday, taking the game 12-7.
Valparaiso also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Kylie McMillan gave up six earned (and one unearned) runs on ten hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, Elizabeth Kosek was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and a double. Delilah Kincaid was another key contributor, scoring two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Lowell's loss dropped their record down to 1-5. As for Valparaiso, their win ended a ten-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 5-2.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Saturday. Lowell hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Valparaiso struggles in that department as they've been averaging 1. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Lowell took their victory against Valparaiso in their previous meeting back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 10-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for Lowell since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
