The Basalt Longhorns will square off against the Coal Ridge Titans at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Basalt took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They blew past Olathe 18-3. The win continues a trend for the Longhorns in their matchups with the Pirates: they've now won four in a row.
Chris Hays
| 04/22/25 vs Olathe | 8 |
| 04/12/25 @ Gunnison | 7 |
| 04/16/24 @ Moffat County | 6 |
| 03/18/25 @ Olathe | 5 |
| 03/12/25 @ North Fork | 5 |
Chris Hays made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with four RBI.
In other batting news, Elias Schendler was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Karson Schneider, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Basalt was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Coal Ridge had already won eight in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9 runs) and they went ahead and made it nine on Friday. Everything went their way against the Bulldogs as they made off with a 21-1 victory. The Titans' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Like Basalt, Coal Ridge also got a great game from a two-way player: George Roberts. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Roberts was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and two doubles. Those doubles marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, Coal Ridge got a massive performance out of Jakson Slade, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That home run marked the first that Slade has launched this season. Logan Harlow was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases, four runs, and two RBI.
Coal Ridge pushed their record up to 13-2-1 with the win, which was their eighth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.8 runs over those games. As for Basalt, their win bumped their record up to 8-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Basalt has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Coal Ridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Basalt suffered a grim 11-2 defeat to Coal Ridge in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Longhorns avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
