Teton hasn't had much luck against Sugar-Salem recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Timberwolves will face off against the Diggers at 4:00 p.m. The match will give Teton their first taste of in-conference action this season.
On Tuesday, Teton didn't have quite enough to beat American Falls and fell 7-6.
Will Wright was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Luke Nelson, who went 1-for-4 with one stolen base and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Sugar-Salem entered their tilt with South Fremont on Tuesday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Cougars a 15-0 shutout. Considering the Diggers have won six contests by more than eight runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Dawson McInelly made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up a single earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, firing off two home runs, five RBI, and one double while going 3-for-3. He also scored two runs, which is notable because Sugar-Salem is 7-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 2-3 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Will Chappell, who scored four runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. Sam Chappell was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Sugar-Salem was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .577. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as South Fremont only posted a batting average of .118.
Sugar-Salem's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-4. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Teton, their loss dropped their record down to 1-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Teton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Sugar-Salem struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Teton might still be hurting after the 14-0 defeat they got from Sugar-Salem when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Timberwolves avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
