The West Valley Wolf Pack will head out on the road to challenge the North Pole Patriots at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. West Valley is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.4 runs per game this season.
West Valley is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: Hutchison, who was ranked 18th in their home state at the time (West Valley was ranked ninth). Everything went West Valley's way against Hutchison on Wednesday as West Valley made off with a 15-3 win. The victory was some much needed relief for West Valley as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Abbey Anthony was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up just two earned runs off one hit. Anthony was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing six bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Kayla Anthony and Makayla Anderson did most of the damage at the plate: Anthony went 3-for-4 with six stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI, while Anderson scored two runs and stole six bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Ellie Poulsen was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, North Pole lost a heartbreaker to Lathrop when they met back in May of 2023, and they left with a heavy heart again on Thursday. North Pole lost 13-1 to Lathrop. North Pole has not had much luck with Lathrop recently, as the team's come up short the last two times they've met.
West Valley's record now sits at 6-4-1. As for North Pole, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-15-1.
West Valley's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's contest. West Valley has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 10.9 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for North Pole, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will West Valley continue to outrun the ball?
West Valley couldn't quite finish off North Pole in their previous matchup back in May of 2023 and fell 11-9. Can West Valley avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
