The Valparaiso Vikings will venture away from home to face off against the Knox Redskins at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Valparaiso will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
On Wednesday, Valparaiso got the win against Michigan City by a conclusive 14-1. With that win, the Vikings brought their scoring average up to 6.9 runs per game.
Brooklyn Hudson made a splash while hitting and pitching. She pitched five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. What's more, she posted four strikeouts, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Valparaiso got a massive performance out of Delilah Kincaid, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple was Kincaid's first of the season. Maddie Horka was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Valparaiso was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .480. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Knox posted their closest victory since May 3, 2024 on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out Tippecanoe Valley 6-4.
Like Valparaiso, Knox also got a great game from a two-way player: Cheryl Barnes. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out eight over 4.2 innings pitched. Barnes was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Joie Montague was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one home run.
Valparaiso's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-5. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Knox, their record is now 3-1.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Valparaiso hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.8 home runs per game. However, it's not like Knox struggles in that department as they've been averaging 1 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
