The East Lyme Vikings will venture away from home to take on the Haddam-Killingworth Cougars at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
While East Lyme's victory against RHAM wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Vikings narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Raptors 16-14. The Vikings' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Jillian Hintze was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Hintze was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with four runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Those four runs gave her a new career-high.
Natalie Knowlton
| 05/12/25 vs RHAM | 4 |
| 05/03/25 vs Plainfield | 3 |
| 04/08/25 @ Killingly | 2 |
| 04/28/25 vs Stonington | 1 |
| 04/24/25 vs Killingly | 1 |
In other batting news, Natalie Knowlton was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and four RBI. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Lorelei Gronholm, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with two RBI, one run, and one double.
East Lyme always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .591. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Haddam-Killingworth came tearing into Tuesday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.5 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 11-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won eight games by eight runs or more so far this season.
Emma Giaccone spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on five hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Grace LaConte was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Caley Napoletano, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one triple.
Haddam-Killingworth pushed their record up to 11-2 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for East Lyme, their win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 4-9.
Everything went East Lyme's way against Haddam-Killingworth when the teams last played back in May of 2024, as East Lyme made off with an 11-2 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
