The Challis Vikings will take on the Wendell Trojans at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Challis knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with ten runs or more in their past three matches -- so hopefully Wendell likes a good challenge.
On Thursday, Challis got the win against West Jefferson by a conclusive 12-2. The result was nothing new for the Vikings, who have now won six games by six runs or more so far this season.
Garrison Applegate made a big impact no matter where he played. 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. Those 13 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Brayden Ollar
| 04/17/25 vs West Jefferson | 2 |
| 05/17/24 vs Grangeville | 1 |
| 05/11/24 vs Firth | 1 |
| 04/06/24 @ West Jefferson | 1 |
| 03/23/24 vs Soda Springs | 1 |
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. Roy Jones was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Challis hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as West Jefferson struck out 14 times.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Wendell and Gooding meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Friday. The Trojans fell just short of the Senators by a score of 7-5.
Gunner Jones was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.
Challis' win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-5-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Wendell, their loss dropped their record down to 5-10-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Challis has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Wendell struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Challis' way against Wendell in their previous meeting last Thursday, as Challis made off with a 14-6 win. Do the Vikings have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Trojans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
