Softball Preview: Smoky Hill Buffaloes vs. ThunderRidge Grizzlies
The Smoky Hill Buffaloes will face off against the ThunderRidge Grizzlies at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. Smoky Hill has now lost nine straight, leaving the team hunting for their first win since August 17.
Smoky Hill will head into Thursday's contest ready to turn things around: they couldn't quite beat Douglas County on Thursday, but the two-run margin was a huge improvement compared to the 13-run loss they were dealt on Wednesday. Smoky Hill fell just short of Douglas County by a score of 14-12.
Diana Garcia stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: she went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Kiley Snyder, who scored two runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Meanwhile, ThunderRidge earned a 6-3 victory over Pueblo Central on Friday.
Riley Bowman looked comfortable as she tossed an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, ThunderRidge's win was truly a team effort as eight different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Ellie Haiar, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Jillian Kelly, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
ThunderRidge always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .625. The last time their OBP was this high was back in September of 2023.
Smoky Hill's defeat dropped their record down to 1-9. As for ThunderRidge, they now have a winning record of 3-2-1.
Smoky Hill's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's game. Smoky Hill has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for ThunderRidge, though, as they've been averaging only 1. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Smoky Hill continue to outrun the ball?
Smoky Hill might still be hurting after the 10-1 loss they got from ThunderRidge in their previous matchup back in September of 2017. Will Smoky Hill have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
