Grand Valley hasn't had much luck against Nucla recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Cardinals will be playing at home against the Mustangs at 2:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Grand Valley will bounce into Thursday's game after beating Rangely, who they had gone 0-9 against in their nine prior meetings. The Cardinals blew past the Panthers 11-4 on Tuesday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Cardinals needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.
Gage Richardson
| 04/15/25 @ Rangely | 11 |
| 04/08/25 @ Meeker | 4 |
| 04/01/25 @ Olathe | 4 |
| 03/20/25 vs Rangely | 4 |
| 03/13/25 vs Battle Mountain | 4 |
Gage Richardson made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over six innings pitched. Those 11 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Zalas Richards, who scored three runs while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Tomas Satterfield, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Nucla entered their tilt with Dolores on Tuesday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They put the hurt on the Bears with a sharp 12-2 win. The result was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have now won four matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Like Grand Valley, Nucla also got a great game from a two-way player: Brycen Rummel. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over five innings pitched. Rummel was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. He is becoming a predictor of Nucla's success: when he posts at least three hits the team is 5-1 (and 1-3 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Jackson McCabe was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 1-for-3. Nucla is undefeated when McCabe posts two or more runs, but 2-4 otherwise. Jake Hulst was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Nucla was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Grand Valley has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a massive bump to their 4-10 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Nucla, they pushed their record up to 6-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Grand Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .339. However, it's not like Nucla struggles in that department as they've averaged .320. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
