Kennewick and Walla Walla are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2021, but likely not for long. The Lions will challenge the Blue Devils at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Kennewick is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.1 runs per game this season.
Kennewick will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run on Friday, then bounced right back against Chiawana on Tuesday. The Lions blew past the Riverhawks 18-7. Considering the Lions have won 11 contests by more than seven runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Rylee Bendewald
| 04/28/26 vs Chiawana | 7 |
| 04/04/25 @ Pasco | 6 |
| 04/17/26 vs Sageview | 3 |
| 03/24/26 vs Kamiakin | 3 |
| 05/13/25 vs University | 3 |
Rylee Bendewald was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, seven RBI, and three runs. Those seven RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kadence Sparhawk, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Walla Walla was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They lost 11-0 to Southridge. While getting shut out isn't ideal, the Blue Devils haven't been shut out since back in March.
Kennewick is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 12 games. That's provided a massive bump to their 12-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.8 runs over those games. As for Walla Walla, their loss dropped their record down to 4-15.
Walla Walla's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Kennewick has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.1 hits per game. It's a different story for Walla Walla, though, as they've been averaging 12.3 hits. Given Kennewick's sizable advantage in that area, the Blue Devils will need to find a way to close that gap.
Kennewick got the 'W' in their previous matchup back in May of 2025 against Walla Walla by a conclusive 12-6 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lions since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
