The Russell Broncos will venture away from home to challenge the Goodland Cowboys at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. Russell has given up an average of 10.7 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Larned hit Russell with a nine-run first inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Broncos lost 12-2 to the Indians. The contest marked the Broncos' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Russell saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Renya Anschutz, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Goodland). Everything went their way against Scott on Tuesday as they made off with an 18-10 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Cowboys.
Allison Cure was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over seven innings while giving up six earned (and four unearned) runs off 14 hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Goodland let Elly Evert and Hayden Short run wild. Evert went 4-for-5 with three runs, one double, and one RBI, while Short went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most RBI Short has posted since back in April of 2024. Kaedance Smith also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Goodland hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in three consecutive matches.
Goodland's record now sits at 5-9. As for Russell, they dropped their record down to 1-5 with the defeat, which was their tenth straight on the road dating back to last season.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Russell hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .314. However, it's not like Goodland struggles in that department as they've averaged .315. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Russell suffered a grim 15-3 defeat to Goodland in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Broncos avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
