The Westlake Thunder will head out on the road to challenge the Mountain Ridge Sentinels at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Westlake is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.8 runs per game this season.
Westlake is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Utah's top teams: Herriman, who was ranked fourth at the time (Westlake was ranked 13th). The Thunder took a 5-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Mustangs on Thursday. The Thunder have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Westlake got a good showing from Makenzie Metcalf, who pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Metcalf has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances.
Bingham hit Mountain Ridge with a four-run fifth inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Sentinels fell just short of the Miners by a score of 9-8.
Natasha Dial was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one double. Kelli Christiansen was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Mountain Ridge's defeat dropped their record down to 12-8. As for Westlake, their loss dropped their record down to 14-6-1.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Westlake hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .418. However, it's not like Mountain Ridge 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.
Westlake was able to grind out a solid win over Mountain Ridge in their previous matchup back in March, winning 10-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Thunder since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
