Highland was the 14-1 winner over Valparaiso when they last played one another back in April of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. The Highland Trojans fell 9-4 to the Valparaiso Vikings on Saturday.
Hailey Thomas made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with a triple, a stolen base, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Evie Rivera, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-2.
Even though they lost, Highland didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with seven strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Valparaiso only tossed three.
On Valparaiso's side, Kylie McMillan was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She pitched seven innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. McMillan was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off three home runs, five RBI, and a triple while going 4-for-4.
In other batting news, Delilah Kincaid was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3. Addison Simpson was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
Highland's defeat dropped their record down to 1-1. As for Valparaiso, their victory ended a four-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 1-2.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Highland will take on Lowell at 4:45 p.m. on Monday. As for Valparaiso, they will be playing at home against Kouts at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps