The Tooele Buffaloes will take on the Murray Spartans at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Tooele knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past three contests -- so hopefully Murray likes a good challenge.
Tooele is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Cottonwood a 21-0 shutout on Wednesday. The win continues a trend for the Buffaloes in their matchups with the Colts: they've now won eight in a row.
Jaelyn Woods looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Dakota-Sky Gallaher and Hunter Culley did most of the damage at the plate: Gallaher went 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one double, while Culley got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run and three RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Bella Pacheco, who went 2-for-3 with three runs and one RBI.
Tooele kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.8 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matchups they've averaged 10.
Meanwhile, Murray unfortunately witnessed the end of their four-game winning streak on Monday. They lost 14-3 to Hillcrest. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Spartans have suffered since April 8, 2024.
Murray saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Zaylee Winterhalder, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. Another was Lyndee Marshall, who went 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Murray's loss dropped their record down to 7-6. As for Tooele, their victory bumped their record up to 7-11.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Tooele hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .348. However, it's not like Murray struggles in that department as they've averaged .457. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Tooele beat Murray 16-11 in their previous meeting back in March. Will the Buffaloes repeat their success, or do the Spartans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
