Baseball Team Edges Rochester

Putting in a little extra work proved well worth it Monday evening for the Tippecanoe Valley baseball team.

The host Vikings edged past rival Rochester 6-5 in eight innings in a key Three Rivers Conference clash.

Gavin Bussard capped a huge night be playing hero for Valley. Bussard’s RBI single in the home half of the eighth inning was the walk-off winner for the Vikings.

Valley led 4-0 after the first two innings before the Zebras rallied. Rochester plated three runs in the top of the seventh frame, taking a 5-4 lead on a two-out, two-run single by Brett Abbott.

The Vikings forced extra innings in dramatic fashion in their final at-bat. Down to their final out, Brandon Webster was hit by a pitch to force in the tying run for Valley to knot the game at 5-5.

Bussard went 4-5 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored to lead the winners.

Luke Helton was 2-2 with an RBI and two walks. He also pitched the first seven innings for the Vikings, allowing four earned runs with four walks and 11 strikeouts.

Keegan Larimer was 2-4, while Webster and Jay Meyers each had a hit for Valley. Alec Craig earned the pitching win by going the final inning and also had an RBI and two stolen bases.

Valley outhit the Zebras, who are now 4-13 overall and 1-7 in the TRC, 9-7 with each team committing one error.

Valley, which improves to 14-6 overall and goes to 6-2 in TRC play, will host Peru on Wednesday night. The Vikings are tied for second place in the TRC standings, along with Whitko and Southwood, at 6-2. Peru leads the league at 7-1 after a 3-2 loss in eight innings to Whitko in TRC play Monday night.

Tennis Team Blanked

The Valley girls tennis team dropped a 5-0 final at Northfield in Three Rivers Conference action Monday night.

The No. 2 doubles team of Brooke Danner and Cassidy Cave lost in three sets, 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, to lead Valley.

The trio of Aerin Shewman (No. 1), Maddy Menninger (No. 2) and Lea Stouder (No. 3) all lost in straight sets at singles play for the Vikings. The No. 1 doubles team of Morgan Brazo and Kennedy Niedbalski also lost in two sets for Valley.

Winners for Valley in junior varsity play were Tiphanee Hodge (No. 1 singles) and America Baca (No. 3 singles) and the No. 2 doubles team.

Valley will now compete in the Warsaw Sectional Thursday. The Vikings will face either Columbia City or Wawasee in a semifinal match at 4:30 p.m. at WCHS. City plays Wawasee in the sectional opener Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.

Softball Squad Falls To Zebras

The Rochester softball team showed why its ranked so high in Class 2-A.

The Zebras, who checked in at No. 6 in the latest coaches’ poll this week, beat host Tippecanoe Valley 18-0 in five innings in Three Rivers Conference play Monday evening.

Rochester scored 12 runs in the first inning en route to the win. The Zebras, who improve to 15-3 overall and move to 6-1 in the TRC, added six more tallies in the second frame.

Valley had just one hit in the contest, by Katie Gunter, while Rochester totaled 15. Gunter was also the losing pitcher for the Vikings.

Valley falls to 7-12 overall and now stands 1-6 in conference play.

The Vikings play at league foe Manchester today (Tuesday) and then host Peru on Wednesday and entertain Warsaw on Friday.