The Niwot Cougars will head out to face off against the Thompson Valley Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Niwot will be strutting in after a victory while Thompson Valley will be coming in after a defeat.
Having struggled with seven losses in a row, Niwot turned things around against Frederick on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over the Golden Eagles. The Cougars not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since March 12th (when they won 12-2).
Haden Shaw was excellent, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Kaige Kennedy, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Niwot always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .553. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Roosevelt hit Thompson Valley with a five-run first inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Eagles fell just short of the Roughriders by a score of 6-4. The Eagles have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Evan Raabe spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered six earned runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Sam Engelland made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Beau Heaton, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Thompson Valley's defeat dropped their record down to 7-10. As for Niwot, their record now sits at 6-12.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Niwot has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Thompson Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Niwot couldn't quite finish off Thompson Valley in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 and fell 4-2. Can the Cougars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
