The Ripley Vikings will head out on the road to face off against the Wayne Pioneers at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Ripley has given up an average of 9.2 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Hoover hit Ripley with a four-run third inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Vikings came up short against the Huskies, falling 11-4. The Vikings have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Meanwhile, Wayne hadn't done well against Lincoln County recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Pioneers walked away with a 9-6 victory over the Panthers. Nine seems to be a good number for the Pioneers as the team scooped up a win with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Kaliah Merritt was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over 6.2 innings while giving up four earned (and two unearned) runs off eight hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lexi Napier, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Kylee Copley, who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Wayne hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in four consecutive contests.
Wayne is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a massive bump to their 6-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.8 runs over those games. As for Ripley, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-13.
Ripley suffered a grim 12-3 defeat to Wayne in their previous meeting on April 1st. Can the Vikings avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
