The Thompson Valley Eagles will head out to challenge the Poudre Impalas at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Thompson Valley has given up an average of 6.8 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Thompson Valley is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Severance just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Wednesday. They fell just short of the Silver Knights by a score of 12-11. Despite running the score up even higher than they did in their prior game on Monday (ten), the Eagles still had to take the loss.
Beau Heaton
| 04/12/25 @ Northridge | 4 |
| 04/16/25 @ Severance | 2 |
| 04/14/25 vs Northridge | 2 |
| 03/27/25 vs Berthoud | 2 |
| 03/15/25 vs Wellington | 2 |
| + 4 more games |
Beau Heaton put in work no matter where he played. He pitched five innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Heaton was even better at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-4. Thompson Valley is 4-1 when Heaton posts two or more runs, but 2-5 otherwise.
In other batting news, Evan Raabe was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-5. He is becoming a predictor of Thompson Valley's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 3-1 (and 3-5 when he doesn't). Amari Richardson was another key player, scoring three runs while going 2-for-5.
Meanwhile, Poudre never let their opponents score on Wednesday. They blew past Roosevelt 6-0. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Impalas.
The result came thanks to Brayden Bay's shutout, as he gave up just three hits and racked up 11 Ks. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Brady Santillanes was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing three bases. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March of 2024. Max Hapner also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Thompson Valley's loss dropped their record down to 6-6. As for Poudre, their win bumped their record up to 7-5.
Thompson Valley's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's match. The Eagles have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Poudre, though, as they've been averaging only 1.1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Thompson Valley continue to outrun the ball?
Thompson Valley skirted past Poudre 4-2 when the teams last played back in March of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
