The Friona Chieftans will be taking part in a tournament against the Ropes Eagles at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Friona's tournament run continued when they took on Smyer on Thursday. The Chieftans blew past the Bobcats 11-5. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Chieftans.
Friona let Jameson Daniels and Marcelo Leon run wild. Daniels went a perfect 4-for-4 with four stolen bases, two RBI, and one run, while Leon got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base. Those three runs gave Leon a new career-high. Hector Aguirre was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Friona was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .423. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .321 or higher in five consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Ropes). Everything went their way against McCamey on Thursday as they made off with a 23-1 victory. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.
Garland Higginbothum was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Ryland Keith was a standout: he got on base in four of his five plate appearances with five runs, two stolen bases, and three RBI. He continues to improve, besting his previous run total in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Jaivyth Cruz, who went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, four runs, and four RBI.
Friona's record now sits at 3-1. As for Ropes, their record is now 5-2.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Friona hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .472. However, it's not like Ropes 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.
Friona might still be hurting after the 11-0 defeat they got from Ropes when the teams last played back in March of 2023. Can the Chieftans avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
