The Mission Valley Vikings will square off against the Hayden Wildcats at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Mission Valley will be looking to extend their current eight-game winning streak.
While Mission Valley's victory against Council Grove wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Vikings skirted past the Braves 7-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Vikings have posted since May 7, 2024.
Keely Chesmore spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned runs on eight hits and racked up ten Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Kyplee Jacobson, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and four RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Adaline Bloomfield, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Hayden didn't have quite enough to beat Hiawatha last Saturday and fell 8-7. The loss was the Wildcats' first of the season.
Maura Valdivia put in work while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Valdivia was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI. That double was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Keira Carswell made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Emberly Connell was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Mission Valley's victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-6. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Hayden, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 5-1.
Hayden's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Mission Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Hayden, though, as they've been averaging only 3.8 strikeouts. Will Mission Valley keep running through batters, or will the Wildcats buck the trend? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
