The Valmeyer Pirates will head out on the road to square off against the Marissa/Coulterville Meteors at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Valmeyer sitting on five straight wins and Marissa/Coulterville on four.
Valmeyer had a rough season last year, but they look ready to turn that poor record around this year. They came out on top against New Athens by a score of 6-1 on Tuesday. That's two games straight that Valmeyer has won by exactly five runs.
The team relied heavily on Landon Roy, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Jake Killy, who went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and two RBI.
Marissa/Coulterville proved they can win big on Saturday (they won by 12) but on Saturday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged Gibault Catholic out 5-3.
Evan Ranck looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits (he also didn't allow any walks).
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Hayden Steinwagner, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. Tanner Middendorf was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Valmeyer pushed their record up to 7-2 with that victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.5 runs per game. As for Marissa/Coulterville, their record is now 4-1.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Valmeyer has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .463. However, it's not like Marissa/Coulterville struggles in that department as they've averaged .439. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Valmeyer might still be hurting after the 12-4 loss they got from Marissa/Coulterville in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Can Valmeyer avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
