A feisty cat fight will be fought as Summit Tigers duke it out with Evergreen Cougars at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Summit knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with ten runs or more in their past four contests -- so hopefully Evergreen likes a good challenge.
Summit proved they can win big on Thursday (they won by ten) and on Tuesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged out Conifer 10-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Tigers have posted since May 11, 2024.
Jojo Gambino and Sam Eldredge were a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Gambino pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Meanwhile, Eldredge tossed 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Gambino has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. At the plate, Gambino went 3-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and two runs, while Eldredge scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. That's the most stolen bases Gambino has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, Lucas Comcowich was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. What's more, he posted two hits, the most he's had since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Gus Bradford, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Summit was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .387. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .346 or higher in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, neither Evergreen nor Mingus could gain the upper hand on Friday so the two teams had to settle for a 6-6 tie.
Summit's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-1. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. With that tie, Evergreen's record moves to 2-2-1.
Evergreen's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Summit has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .459. It's a different story for Evergreen, though, as they've only averaged .357. Will they be able to contain Summit's hitters?
Summit came up short against Evergreen in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, falling 11-8. Can Summit avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
