The Highlands Bluebirds will face off against the Ryle Raiders at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Highlands sitting on 17 straight wins and Ryle on four.
Highlands had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the six-run drubbing they dealt Notre Dame Academy on Thursday. The Bluebirds never let the Pandas get on the board and left with a 6-0 victory. Considering the Bluebirds have won 25 games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Kaitlyn Dixon
| 05/28/26 vs Notre Dame Academy | 14 |
| 05/25/26 vs Conner | 15 |
| 05/23/26 vs Newport Central Catholic | 9 |
| 05/14/26 @ Ryle | 17 |
| 05/13/26 vs Great Crossing | 8 |
| + 12 more games |
The result came thanks to Kaitlyn Dixon's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up 14 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 17 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Morgan Pompilio was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Kate Class, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Meanwhile, Ryle sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-8 win over Dixie Heights on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Raiders have posted against the Colonels since May 25, 2021.
The team relied heavily on Kiley Patterson, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April. Brooklyn Roland was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Ryle's win bumped their record up to 25-13. As for Highlands, their victory bumped their record up to 37-6.
Ryle's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Highlands has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Ryle, though, as they've been averaging only 2.4 strikeouts. Will Highlands keep running through batters, or will the Raiders buck the trend?
Everything went Highlands' way against Ryle in their previous meeting two weeks ago, as Highlands made off with a 10-0 win. Will the Bluebirds repeat their success, or do the Raiders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
