Baseball Recap: West Jefferson Takes a Loss

West Jefferson extended their losing streak (dating back to last season) to 17 on Thursday, dropping their season record down to 0-7 in the process. They came up short against the Challis Vikings, falling 12-2. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Vikings this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 24-3 two weeks ago.

West Jefferson saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Walt Pancheri, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base and one run. Baylor Hogge also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.

As for Challis, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 10-5-1. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games.

On Challis' side, Garrison Applegate made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. Applegate has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brayden Ollar, who went 3-for-4 with two triples, three runs, and two RBI. Those two triples gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Roy Jones, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.

Looking ahead, West Jefferson will head out on the road to square off against Salmon at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. The Panthers' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Savages have averaged an impressive 7.6 runs per game this season. As for Challis, they will host Wendell at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.