The Bettye Davis East Anchorage Thunderbirds will head out on the road to square off against the Wasilla Warriors at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Bettye Davis East Anchorage has given up an average of 7.8 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Bettye Davis East Anchorage is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: Chugiak, who was ranked 15th at the time (Bettye Davis East Anchorage was ranked 17th). The Thunderbirds lost 16-0 to the Mustangs on Thursday. The match marked the first time this season in which the Thunderbirds were not able to get on the board.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last contest, Wasilla made sure to put some runs up on the board against Colony on Thursday. The Warriors blew past the Knights 16-4. Considering the Warriors have won five games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Ramon Guzman made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That's the most runs he has posted over his last 11 matchups.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jimmy Lackey, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs, four RBI, and one double. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Camden Mette, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs.
Wasilla always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .629. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Wasilla is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-4-1 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Bettye Davis East Anchorage, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost four of their last five games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-5 record this season.
Bettye Davis East Anchorage couldn't quite get it done against Wasilla in their previous matchup back in April of 2022 as they fell 7-4. Can the Thunderbirds avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
