The Cedarcrest Red Wolves will head out to face off against the Inglemoor Vikings at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
As a matter of fact, Cedarcrest put up the most runs they have all season on Wednesday. They blew past Hazen 28-3. With that win, the Red Wolves brought their scoring average up to 7.5 runs per game.
Abby Combs made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Combs was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while getting on base in four of her six plate appearances.
In other batting news, Josie Fiala and Paityn Craig did most of the damage at the plate: Fiala went 5-for-6 with one home run, four runs, and four RBI, while Craig got on base in all six of her plate appearances with one home run, four runs, and three RBI. Fiala continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Olivia Thompson also deserves some recognition as she got her first hits of the season.
Cedarcrest lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since back in May of 2024.
Inglemoor hadn't beaten Newport - Bellevue on the road since April 6, 2022 but that history sure didn't bother them on Wednesday. The Vikings put the hurt on the Knights with a sharp 15-4 victory. Considering the Vikings have won seven matches by more than six runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Cedarcrest, Inglemoor also got a great game from a two-way player: Malin Homes (2028). On the mound, she struck out eight batters over six innings while giving up four earned runs off four hits. Homes (2028) was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with four RBI and one run. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Alexa Saladin (2025) (PLU) was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two). Another player making a difference was Jillian Starosky (2025), who scored a run while going 4-for-4.
The win made it two in a row for Inglemoor and bumps their season record up to 10-3-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.0 runs over those games. As for Cedarcrest, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-7-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Cedarcrest has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Inglemoor struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Cedarcrest couldn't quite finish off Inglemoor when the teams last played back in March and fell 5-3. Can the Red Wolves avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
