The ThunderRidge Grizzlies's road trip will continue as they head out to face the Smoky Hill Buffaloes at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. ThunderRidge is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.
On Friday, ThunderRidge was able to grind out a solid win over Pueblo Central, taking the game 6-3.
Riley Bowman looked comfortable as she pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, ThunderRidge saw eight different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ellie Haiar, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Jillian Kelly, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
ThunderRidge always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .625. The last time their OBP was this high was back in September of 2023.
Meanwhile, Smoky Hill was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their ninth straight defeat. They fell just short of Douglas County by a score of 14-12.
Diana Garcia stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: she went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Kiley Snyder, who scored two runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
ThunderRidge now has a winning record of 3-2-1. As for Smoky Hill, their loss dropped their record down to 1-9.
Smoky Hill's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: ThunderRidge has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10 hits per game. It's a different story for Smoky Hill, though, as they've been averaging 13.6. Given ThunderRidge's sizable advantage in that area, Smoky Hill will need to find a way to close that gap.
ThunderRidge took their victory against Smoky Hill in their previous meeting back in September of 2017 by a conclusive 10-1. Does ThunderRidge have another victory up their sleeve, or will Smoky Hill turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
