The Greeneview Rams are taking a road trip to take on the West Liberty-Salem Tigers at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Greeneview will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
Greeneview had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the nine-run drubbing they dealt Catholic Central on Saturday. The Rams put the hurt on the Irish with a sharp 10-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Rams, who have now won eight matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
The team relied heavily on Jaden Van Tress, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Elliott Zimmet also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Greeneview hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least two batters in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask West Liberty-Salem). They blew past Fairbanks 13-2 on Tuesday. The win continues a trend for the Tigers in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now won five in a row.
Isaac Sertell spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on five hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, West Liberty-Salem got a massive performance out of Jeremiah Johnson, who went 3-for-5 with five RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Those three hits gave Johnson a new career-high. Isaiah Reames was another key player, going 1-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and two RBI.
Greeneview pushed their record up to 13-4 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for West Liberty-Salem, their record now sits at 12-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Greeneview has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like West Liberty-Salem struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Greeneview might still be hurting after the 10-0 loss they got from West Liberty-Salem in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Rams avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
