The Columbia River Rapids will take on the Mark Morris Monarchs at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Columbia River sitting on three straight victories and Mark Morris on 25 (dating back to last season).
On Friday, Columbia River got the win against Washougal by a conclusive 14-2. Considering the Rapids have won three games by more than 11 runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Haylee Delano made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one run and one double.
In other batting news, Brooklyn Vickery and Solei Houk did most of the damage at the plate: Vickery got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, while Houk went 3-for-4 with three runs and one stolen base. What's more, Vickery posted two hits, the most she's had since back in March of 2024. Sydney Wilder was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Columbia River hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Mark Morris put their dominant pitcher on display in the team's fifth consecutive shutout on Friday. They didn't even let R.A. Long on the board, marking the Monarchs' second-straight 15-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Monarchs, who have now won eight contests by nine runs or more so far this season.
Mark Morris let Michella Freeman and Shyanne Sellers run wild. Freeman went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs, while Sellers went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That home run marked the first that Sellers has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Megan Fugleberg, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
Mark Morris' win was their 16th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 12-0. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.1 runs on average over those games. As for Columbia River, their win bumped their record up to 5-3.
Columbia River came up short against Mark Morris in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, falling 6-1. Can the Rapids avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
