Valparaiso has won six straight games at home, while Hanover Central has won six straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Vikings will welcome the Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Valparaiso 2.2, Hanover Central 3.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
While Valparaiso's win against La Porte wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Vikings sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-4 victory over the Slicers on Wednesday. The Vikings haven't had any issues with the Slicers recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive win against them.
The team relied heavily on Adler Holtz, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted over his last ten matchups. Another player making a difference was Trent Gill, who got on base in two of his three plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Hanover Central owes their pitching crew a big pat on the back after their performance on Monday. They came out on top against Morgan Township by a score of 4-0.
Morgan Township's batters probably weren't too happy with Matt Cook, who pitched a no hitter and racked up seven Ks (he gave up zero walks). Those seven strikeouts set a new season-high mark for Cook.
On the hitting side, Dylan Bowen was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, one triple, and two RBI. Jaylen Rutherford was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two triples and one run.
Hanover Central has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven games. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.9 runs on average over those games. As for Valparaiso, their win bumped their record up to 17-5.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Valparaiso has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .449. However, it's not like Hanover Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .500. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Valparaiso couldn't quite get it done against Hanover Central in their previous meeting back in May of 2023 as they fell 5-2. Can the Vikings avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
