Rifle has gone 9-1 against Steamboat Springs recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Saturday. The Bears will look to defend their home field against the Sailors at 11:00 a.m. Rifle is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8 runs per game this season.
Rifle took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They skirted past Glenwood Springs 9-7. The Bears haven't had any issues with the Demons recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive win against them.
Joseph Spritzer
| 04/02/25 vs Glenwood Springs | 3 |
| 03/22/25 vs Montezuma-Cortez | 2 |
| 03/22/25 vs Bayfield | 2 |
| 03/12/25 @ Grand Junction | 1 |
| 03/08/25 vs Basalt | 1 |
| + 5 more games |
The team relied heavily on Joseph Spritzer, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March of 2024. Quentin Kramer was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Steamboat Springs came tearing into Wednesday's game with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They never let the Bulldogs get on the board and left with a 20-0 victory. The Sailors might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matches by ten runs or more this season.
Wiley Cotter was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Cotter was even better at the plate, scoring four runs and stealing four bases while going 3-for-3. He is becoming a predictor of Steamboat Springs' success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 1-3 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Steamboat Springs got a massive performance out of Rickey Hernandez, who scored four runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Drew Bustamante, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3.
Steamboat Springs kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in ten consecutive contests.
Steamboat Springs' win was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-3. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.2 runs over those games. As for Rifle, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Rifle suffered a grim 10-2 defeat to Steamboat Springs in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will the Bears have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
