The Kendrick Tigers will head out to face off against the Grangeville Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Kendrick's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Grangeville's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Kendrick is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Idaho's top teams: Potlatch, who was ranked 14th at the time (Kendrick was ranked 16th). The Tigers blew past the Loggers 10-0 on Tuesday. Considering the Tigers have won 11 matchups by more than eight runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Hudson Kirkland made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run.
In other batting news, Kendrick got a massive performance out of Morgan Boyer, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one double, and one RBI. Ralli Roetcisoender was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and one stolen base.
Kendrick always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .560. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Potlatch only posted an OBP of .125.
Grangeville couldn't beat Orofino on Wednesday even though they stacked four runs on them in the second inning. The Bulldogs fell just short of the Maniacs by a score of 7-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Bulldogs have suffered against the Maniacs since April 29, 2023.
David Goicoa was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with four RBI and one double.
Kendrick's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-2. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.3 runs over those games. As for Grangeville, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 12-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Kendrick has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Grangeville struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Kendrick was able to grind out a solid victory over Grangeville when the teams last played back in March, winning 5-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
