After two games on the road, Graham-Kapowsin is heading back home. They will take on the Emerald Ridge Jaguars at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The pair are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Graham-Kapowsin put the finishing touches on their fourth blowout victory of the season on Monday. They were the clear victor by a 20-2 margin over Puyallup.
Reagan Ovechka made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off seven hits (and only one walk). Ovechka has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. Ovechka was also big at the plate, going 5-for-5 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, Payton Walling was a standout: she fired off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 3-for-5. Another player making a difference was Izzy Vargas, who went 4-for-4 with four runs, a triple, and a double.
Meanwhile, Emerald Ridge had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 1.5 runs), and they went ahead and made it three on Monday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Vikings a 15-0 shutout.
Like Graham-Kapowsin, Emerald Ridge also got a great game from a two-way player: Alanna Wirtala. She tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (she also didn't allow any walks). Wirtala was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 4-for-4.
In other pitching news, Carly Martin looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits (she also didn't allow any walks).
Back at the plate, Emerald Ridge let Jayda Guadron and Kailey Verhoeven loose on the outfield. Guadron went 3-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs, while Verhoeven went 3-for-3 with a home run, three runs, and two RBI. Kaelyn Dyrdahl was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Graham-Kapowsin's victory bumped their record up to 4-2. As for Emerald Ridge, their win bumped their record up to 3-0.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Graham-Kapowsin has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Emerald Ridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7 per game. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Graham-Kapowsin suffered a grim 13-7 defeat to Emerald Ridge in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Thankfully for Graham-Kapowsin, Isabel Quintanilla (who went 4-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and a stolen base) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
