The Orofino Maniacs will head out to square off against the Marsing Huskies at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Marsing will be up against a hot Orofino squad: the team just extended their winning streak to six. Everything went the Maniacs' way against Grangeville on Tuesday as they made off with an 11-1 victory.
Aiden Olive made a big impact no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over five innings pitched. Olive was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Quinton Naranjo was incredible, going 1-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Blake Barlow was another key player, scoring two runs.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Marsing). They were the clear victors by a 24-7 margin over Vision on Wednesday. The Huskies haven't had any issues with Vision recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Like Orofino, Marsing also got a great game from a two-way player: Jace Chadez. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Chadez was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Dresden Wood, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. What's more, he posted three RBI, the most he's had since back in March. Trenton Seid also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Marsing kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in four consecutive matchups.
Orofino pushed their record up to 12-3 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Marsing, their record now sits at 11-4.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Orofino hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. However, it's not like Marsing struggles in that department as they've averaged .361. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Orofino couldn't quite get it done against Marsing when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 7-4. Can the Maniacs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
