The Highway 6 Trailblazers will head out on the road to take on the North Platte Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Highway 6 is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 14 runs on Monday, they were much more limited against Centura on Tuesday. They took a 5-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Centurions. The Trailblazers' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, while North Platte put up plenty of runs on Monday, the same can't be said for Grand Island. The Bulldogs put the hurt on the Islanders with a sharp 12-0 victory. Considering the Bulldogs have won 11 matchups by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Aryadnna Reyna was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 15 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in September.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Danaka Jedrzejczyk, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in September. Another player making a difference was Maleighya Harmon, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
North Platte hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Grand Island struck out ten times.
North Platte pushed their record up to 17-12 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Highway 6, their loss dropped their record down to 7-10.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Highway 6 hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .385. However, it's not like North Platte struggles in that department as they've averaged .329. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Highway 6 suffered a grim 12-4 defeat to North Platte when the teams last played back in September. Can the Trailblazers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
