The Hazen Highlanders will face off against the Sammamish RedHawks at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Things were looking good for Hazen after they put the first runs on the board on Friday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They lost 14-7 to Juanita. The Highlanders have struggled against the Ravens recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.
Logan Grossnickle was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Alvin Chang was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one stolen base. Michael Curry was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Sammamish had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. They never let the Red Hawks get on the board and left with an 11-0 victory. The RedHawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matches by six runs or more this season.
Barrett Castillo made a big impact no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over 4.1 innings pitched. Castillo was even better at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-3. He also hit two doubles, marking his first of the season.
In other batting news, Josh Perez was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Cole Thompson, who scored a run while going 2-for-2.
Sammamish pushed their record up to 11-1 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games. As for Hazen, their loss dropped their record down to 4-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Hazen has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Sammamish struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Hazen took their win against Sammamish in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 17-1 score. Will the Highlanders repeat their success, or do the RedHawks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
