The Copper Hills Grizzlies will head out to take on the Mountain Ridge Sentinels at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Copper Hills will be strutting in after a win while Mountain Ridge will be coming in after a defeat.
Last Friday, Copper Hills got the win against Syracuse by a conclusive 13-5. The Grizzlies might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by eight runs or more this season.
Kennedy Jennings made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her five plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
Bryton Dawes
| 03/21/25 vs Syracuse | 6 |
| 03/04/25 vs West | 3 |
| 03/08/24 @ Page | 3 |
| 05/13/24 @ Westlake | 2 |
| 04/18/24 @ Herriman | 2 |
In other batting news, Bryton Dawes was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with six RBI, three runs, and one double. Those six RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Janie Coats, who scored four runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Copper Hills hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most five strikeouts in six consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Mountain Ridge faced Riverton in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. Mountain Ridge took a 10-7 hit to the loss column at the hands of Riverton. The Sentinels have struggled against the Silverwolves recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost meeting.
Tatyana Toala was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Chloe Tycksen also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Copper Hills has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games. Having lost for the first time this season, Mountain Ridge fell to 7-1.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Copper Hills has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .508. However, it's not like Mountain Ridge struggles in that department as they've averaged .484. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Copper Hills beat Mountain Ridge 9-5 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Copper Hills since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
