Eaglecrest is 2-8 against Cherry Creek since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Raptors will be playing in front of their home fans against the Bruins at 4:15 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Eaglecrest comes in on three and Cherry Creek on seven.
While Eaglecrest's victory against Smoky Hill wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Raptors won by a run and slipped past the Buffaloes 8-7.
Tavish Dey
| 03/13/25 vs Chatfield | 3 |
| 04/15/25 vs Smoky Hill | 2 |
| 04/12/25 @ Smoky Hill | 2 |
| 04/08/25 vs Grandview | 1 |
| 03/08/25 @ Columbine | 1 |
Tavish Dey made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (three). He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-5. He is becoming a predictor of Eaglecrest's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 2-1 (and 4-5 when he doesn't).
Dey wasn't the only one making solid contact as seven players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Landen Holmes, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. What's more, Holmes posted two RBI, the most he's had since back in March. Another was Brian Moreland, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one double.
Eaglecrest kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 3-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Cherry Creek). Everything went their way against Smoky Hill on Thursday as they made off with a 19-3 win. The Bruins might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matchups by six runs or more this season.
Max Goldberg looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Connor Larkin was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played. Lucas Schultz was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one double.
Cherry Creek pushed their record up to 8-4-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Eaglecrest, the victory got them back to even at 6-6.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Eaglecrest hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like Cherry Creek struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.6 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Eaglecrest might still be hurting after the 20-9 defeat they got from Cherry Creek when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Will the Raptors have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
