Howards Grove had lost 15 straight on the road, but on Friday they dropped down to 3-21 to make it 16. They fell just short of the Valders Vikings by a score of 5-4. If the Tigers were looking for revenge after losing 1-0 to the Vikings when the teams met back in April of 2025, then they'll just have to keep looking.
Charlie Horness was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits. What's more, he gave up only zero earned runs, the fewest he's had since back in April. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Owen Harms and Tyson Kunesh stepped up to the plate in a big way. Harms got on base in three of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and one double, while Kunesh got on base in three of his five plate appearances with four stolen bases. Another player making a difference was Braden Sixel, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
As for Valders, the victory was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 8-10. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games.
On Valders' side, the team relied heavily on Carter Valleskey, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs. Jacob Olson was another key player, going 2-for-5 with two stolen bases and one RBI.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming matchups. Howards Grove will challenge Living Word Lutheran on Thursday. The Tigers' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Timberwolves have averaged an impressive 9.3 runs per game this season. As for Valders, they will face off against Kewaunee at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
