The Elbert Bulldogs will head out on the road to challenge the Cheyenne Wells Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Cheyenne Wells will be up against a hot Elbert team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. The Bulldogs blew past Custer County 14-8 on Thursday.
Thomas Burian
| 04/24/25 vs Custer County | 3 |
| 04/15/25 vs Kiowa | 1 |
| 04/22/24 @ Kiowa | 1 |
| 04/15/24 @ Calhan | 1 |
| 03/23/24 vs Evangel Christian Academy | 1 |
Thomas Burian and Steven Smith made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Burian pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Smith struck out 11 batters over five innings while giving up four earned (and three unearned) runs off six hits. Burian also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Elbert is 3-1 when he allows at most three earned runs, but 2-5 otherwise. At the plate, Burian got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base, while Smith went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Those three runs gave Burian a new career-high.
In other batting news, Grant Smith was a standout: he went 3-for-5 with five RBI, one stolen base, and one run. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last six games he's played. Eli Cornell also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Elbert kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 3.8 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 11.4.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Cheyenne Wells duked it out with Manzanola on Wednesday. The Tigers put the hurt on the Bobcats with a sharp 14-2 victory. Considering the Tigers have won five contests by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Marcus Bogenhagen was a major factor no matter where he played. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Bogenhagen was even better at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Cheyenne Wells got a massive performance out of Trevin Smith, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Ethen Garay was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs.
Elbert's record now sits at 5-6. As for Cheyenne Wells, they now have a winning record of 7-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Elbert has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Cheyenne Wells struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Elbert suffered a grim 12-6 defeat to Cheyenne Wells when the teams last played back in April of 2022. Can the Bulldogs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
