The Richland Bombers will venture away from home to face off against the Chiawana Riverhawks at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Richland comes in on five and Chiawana on six.
On Tuesday, Richland made easy work of Hermiston and carried off a 13-3 win. Considering the Bombers have won 13 matches by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Sophia Sams made a splash no matter where she played. She pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, Jordan Brannon was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most hits she has posted over her last 12 contests. Another player making a difference was Brooklynn Boyce, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run.
Richland kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in 13 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Chiawana was not the first on the board on Tuesday, but they got there more often. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Kennewick, sneaking past 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Riverhawks have posted since March 28th.
Gabriella Garza spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jessica Melendez, who went 2-for-4 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Chase Wirt, who went 1-for-4 with one home run.
Chiawana pushed their record up to 13-4 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Richland, their record is now 18-1.
Richland was able to grind out a solid win over Chiawana in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, winning 8-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bombers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
