DeKalb hasn't had much luck against Neuqua Valley recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Barbs will host the Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. Neither of those teams managed to put together many runs in their previous contests, so the offenses might be a little more motivated than usual.
DeKalb fought the good fight in their extra-innings match against Kaneland on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Knights by a score of 3-1.
Ayla Gould spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on eight hits and racked up six Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, DeKalb saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nazeria Dean, who went 1-for-3 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, Neuqua Valley got themselves on the board against Waubonsie Valley on Friday, but Waubonsie Valley never followed suit. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-0 win over the Warriors. The Wildcats haven't had any issues with the Warriors recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Not much got past Ava Drehs, who gave up just three hits and racked up 11 Ks to keep Waubonsie Valley off the board.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Nalia Clifford, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one triple, and one run.
DeKalb's loss dropped their record down to 15-13. As for Neuqua Valley, the win got them back to even at 14-14.
DeKalb skirted past Neuqua Valley 5-3 in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Will the Barbs repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
