The Potlatch Loggers will head out on the road to challenge the St. Maries Lumberjacks at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Potlatch comes in on four and St. Maries on five.
On Monday, Potlatch earned a 7-4 victory over Clearwater Valley.
Potlatch got a massive performance out of Rylee Tucker, who scored a run and stole five bases while going 3-for-3. Those five stolen bases gave Tucker a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Reese Lusby, who scored two runs and stole four bases while going 2-for-2.
Tucker wasn't the only one making solid contact: Potlatch kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in five consecutive contests dating back to last season.
While St. Maries didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They put the hurt on Priest River with a sharp 22-3 win two weeks ago. Considering the Lumberjacks have won four games by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Lyssa Watkins made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. Watkins was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances. That stolen base was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Averie Baird and Madison Thomas did most of the damage at the plate: Baird went 3-for-5 with five RBI, two runs, and two doubles, while Thomas scored four runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5. Addyson Stewart was another key player, going 2-for-5 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Potlatch pushed their record up to 4-0 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. The team's perfect season has a lot to do with their hitting performance: the team's won by an average of 10.6 runs thus far. As for St. Maries, their record now sits at 5-1.
Tuesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Potlatch has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .658. However, it's not like St. Maries struggles in that department as they've averaged .507. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Potlatch skirted past St. Maries 20-19 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Loggers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
