The Sammamish RedHawks will head out on the road to square off against the Hazen Highlanders at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Sammamish will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
If Sammamish beats Hazen with 11 runs on Saturday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two matches with that exact score. The RedHawks' pitchers stepped up to hand Renton an 11-0 shutout on Friday. The RedHawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six contests by six runs or more this season.
Barrett Castillo made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over 4.1 innings pitched. Castillo was even better at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-3. He also hit two doubles, marking his first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Josh Perez, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Jack Lansdowne, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Hazen scored first but ultimately less than Juanita in their game on Friday. They lost 14-7 to the Ravens. The Highlanders have struggled against the Ravens recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.
Logan Grossnickle was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Alvin Chang made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one stolen base. The team also got some help courtesy of Michael Curry, who scored three runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-4.
Sammamish pushed their record up to 11-1 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games. As for Hazen, their loss dropped their record down to 4-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Sammamish has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Hazen struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Sammamish suffered a grim 17-1 defeat to Hazen when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Can the RedHawks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
