The Dakota Ridge Eagles will square off against the Green Mountain Rams at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Dakota Ridge is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Dakota Ridge is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 26-2 margin over Wheat Ridge on Thursday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Eagles with their most commanding win of the season.
Braden Johnson
| 04/24/25 @ Wheat Ridge | 2 |
| 04/22/25 vs Evergreen | 1 |
| 04/12/25 @ Lakewood | 1 |
| 04/08/25 vs D'Evelyn | 1 |
| 03/22/25 @ Arizona College Prep | 1 |
Braden Johnson and Josh Kerber were major factors while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Johnson pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Kerber pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off one hit. He has become a key player for Dakota Ridge: the team is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 4-9 otherwise. At the plate, Johnson went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run, while Kerber went 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI. Those two RBI gave Johnson a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kellen Behrendsen, who went 3-for-4 with four runs and four RBI. He continues to improve, besting his previous run total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Max Williams, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
Dakota Ridge kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 20 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in seven consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Green Mountain fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Conifer on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Lobos by a score of 9-7. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since April 26, 2022, but that streak is no more.
Sam Desalvo put in work no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over 6.2 innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off eight hits (and not a single walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up a single walk in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, DJ Villalovas was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Dakota Ridge's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-10. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Green Mountain, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-5-1.
Dakota Ridge was able to grind out a solid win over Green Mountain in their previous meeting on Monday, winning 8-4. Will the Eagles repeat their success, or do the Rams have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
