The Valders Vikings will head out on the road to face off against the New Holstein Huskies at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Valders is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.
Valders took a loss when they played away from home last Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Southern Door 6-5.
Megan Hochkammer spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on four hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than six innings in 19 consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Claire Zipperer, who went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Makayla Dallas, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and a triple.
Meanwhile, with a playoff game on the line, New Holstein rose to the challenge on Tuesday. Everything went their way against the Raiders as they made off with an 8-0 win. The result was nothing new for New Holstein, who have now won 12 contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Natalie Ziebell was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out nine over seven innings pitched. Ziebell was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
In other batting news, Jenna Horn was excellent, scoring a run while going 3-for-3. Another player making a difference was Jacey Sesing, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.
Valders has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 15-8 record this season. As for New Holstein, their record now sits at 17-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Valders has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like New Holstein struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Valders came out on top in a nail-biter against New Holstein in their previous meeting on May 6th, sneaking past 6-4. Does Valders have another victory up their sleeve, or will New Holstein turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
