The West Field Longhorns are taking a road trip to challenge the Salem Hills Skyhawks at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. West Field knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past three contests -- so hopefully Salem Hills likes a good challenge.
West Field came out on top against Logan on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run fourth inning. The Longhorns blew past the Grizzlies 10-1. Considering the Longhorns have won seven matches by more than seven runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Boston Kap made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run over seven innings pitched. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Luke Penland
| 04/25/25 @ Logan | 3 |
| 04/21/25 vs Mountain Crest | 2 |
| 04/05/25 vs Box Elder | 2 |
| 04/23/25 vs Logan | 1 |
| 03/26/25 vs Sky View | 1 |
In other batting news, Luke Penland was excellent, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Conner Miles, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one RBI.
Salem Hills let Cedar Valley stack four runs on them in the second inning on Friday but luckily Salem Hills prevailed anyway. The Skyhawks came out on top in a nail-biter against the Aviators, sneaking past 8-7. The victory continues a trend for the Skyhawks in their matchups with the Aviators: they've now won four in a row.
Like West Field, Salem Hills also got a great game from a two-way player: Braxton Harrison. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Harrison has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one run.
In other pitching news, Peyton Higginson tossed a big game, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits (and only one walk). He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Salem Hills is 2-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 5-10 otherwise.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Kaleb DeGraffenried, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. He is becoming a predictor of Salem Hills' success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 3-11 when he doesn't). Guss Johnson was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Salem Hills was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .458. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
West Field has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a massive bump to their 13-9 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Salem Hills, their record now sits at 7-11.
