The Rye Thunderbolts will take on the Denver Christian Thunder at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Rye and Rocky Ford meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Thursday. Rye never let Rocky Ford get on the board and left with a 12-0 victory. The Thunderbolts' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Branson Burbidge
| 03/20/25 @ Rocky Ford | 7 |
| 05/10/24 @ Rocky Ford | 6 |
| 04/13/24 @ Crowley County | 6 |
| 03/12/24 vs St. Mary's | 5 |
| 05/04/24 @ Swink | 4 |
Branson Burbidge was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
In other pitching news, Derek Taylor looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Rye let Pierce Burris and Wyatt Scheid run wild. Burris scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances, while Scheid scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave Scheid a new career-high in RBI (two). Another player making a difference was Cody Dodge, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Rye hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Rocky Ford struck out 11 times.
Meanwhile, Denver Christian gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Buena Vista with a sharp 12-0 win. Winning may never get old, but the Thunder sure are getting used to it with their 20th in a row dating back to last season.
Mason Reilly made a splash no matter where he played. He kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 14 over five innings pitched. Reilly was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI and one triple.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Patrick Elson, who scored two runs and stole Three bases. while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Caleb Stork was another key player, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
The victory got Rye back to even at 2-2. As for Denver Christian, their win was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 1-0.
Rye took their victory against Denver Christian in their previous meeting back in April of 2015 by a conclusive 11-0. Will Rye repeat their success, or does Denver Christian have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
