The New Prairie Cougars will venture away from home to challenge the Valparaiso Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. New Prairie is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
On Wednesday, New Prairie needed a bit of extra time to put away South Bend Riley. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Wildcats, sneaking past 5-3. The Cougars haven't had any issues with the Wildcats recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.
Ava Geyer
| 04/30/25 @ South Bend Riley | 20 |
| 04/29/25 vs South Bend Riley | 16 |
| 04/26/25 vs Chesterton | 8 |
| 04/24/25 vs Elkhart | 8 |
| 04/23/25 @ South Bend Saint Joseph | 11 |
| + 3 more games |
Ava Geyer was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 20 batters over ten innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one double.
Geyer wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Addi Luther, who went 2-for-5 with two RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, Valparaiso was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 10-9 heartbreaker at the hands of Portage.
Ariyana Bishop and Delilah Kincaid did some serious damage despite the final result: Bishop went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI, while Kincaid went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. Another player making a difference was Elizabeth Kosek, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
New Prairie's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-5. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Valparaiso, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-10.
Valparaiso's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. New Prairie has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.2 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Valparaiso, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.6 strikeouts. Will New Prairie keep running through batters, or will the Vikings buck the trend? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
