Vallivue hasn't had much luck against Bishop Kelly recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Falcons will welcome the Knights at 5:00 p.m. Vallivue is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.8 runs per game this season.
Vallivue is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Idaho's top teams: Middleton, who was ranked fifth at the time (Vallivue was ranked 17th). The Falcons wound up with the same score they had in their last game (8-7), but sadly the team found themselves on the wrong side of the score this time.
Ali Knowles was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with one home run and four RBI. Abbie Egglston was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Bishop Kelly waltzed into their contest on Thursday with three straight wins... but they left with four. Everything went their way against the Hawks as they made off with a 10-4 win. The result was nothing new for the Knights, who have now won ten games by six runs or more so far this season.
Lauren Fettic made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out ten batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gracie Cammann, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Another player making a difference was Olivia Watt, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
Bishop Kelly always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .528. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Skyview only posted an OBP of .355.
Bishop Kelly pushed their record up to 14-3 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Vallivue, their loss dropped their record down to 14-5.
Tuesday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Vallivue hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .447. However, it's not like Bishop Kelly struggles in that department as they've averaged .410. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Vallivue came out on top in a nail-biter against Bishop Kelly in their previous meeting last Tuesday, sneaking past 7-6. Will the Falcons repeat their success, or do the Knights have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
