The Dundee Vikings will challenge the Napoleon Pirates at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Dundee took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They blew past Onsted 10-1. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Vikings as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Lauren Doane spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up 14 Ks.
On the hitting side, Kiernan Brown and Lacey Evans did most of the damage at the plate: Brown went 2-for-4 with one home run and two runs, while Evans went 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Ella Rath, who earned one RBI, two runs, and two stolen bases.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Dundee kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in nine consecutive games.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last contest, Napoleon made sure to put some runs up on the board against East Jackson on Friday. The Pirates were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over the Trojans. The victory continues a trend for the Pirates in their matchups with the Trojans: they've now won seven in a row.
Napoleon also let their pitcher toss all six innings played and she was also dialed-in: Kaitlyn Fall gave up only one earned (and two unearned) runs on five hits and racked up 12 Ks. Fall has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Hayden Rendall was incredible, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Katelyn Ault was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Napoleon pushed their record up to 8-9 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Dundee, the win got them back to even at 7-7.
Napoleon's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Dundee hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .341. It's a different story for Napoleon, though, as they've only averaged .251. Will they be able to contain Dundee's hitters? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
