Grangeville hasn't had much luck against Orofino recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Bulldogs are taking a road trip to take on the Maniacs at 12:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Orofino will be up against a hot Grangeville team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. The Bulldogs' pitcher stepped up to hand Priest River an 18-0 shutout on Thursday.
Grangeville got a great performance from Tate Thacker as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched.
JT Jackson
| 04/18/25 @ Priest River | 5 |
| 03/27/25 @ Kellogg | 4 |
| 05/01/25 vs Priest River | 3 |
| 04/19/25 @ Priest River | 3 |
| 04/19/25 @ Priest River | 3 |
| + 11 more games |
On the hitting side, JT Jackson was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one stolen base. He has become a key player for Grangeville: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 6-9 otherwise. Thayn Williams was another key player, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Grangeville was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .409. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Priest River only posted a batting average of .125.
Meanwhile, Orofino entered their tilt with St. Maries on Thursday with 13 consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with 14. They were the clear victors by a 17-0 margin over the Lumberjacks. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
The team relied heavily on Aiden Olive, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Blake Barlow, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Orofino pushed their record up to 20-3 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.9 runs on average over those games. As for Grangeville, their record now sits at 15-9.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Grangeville hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .314. However, it's not like Orofino struggles in that department as they've averaged .343. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Grangeville couldn't quite finish off Orofino in their previous matchup last Wednesday and fell 7-5. Can the Bulldogs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
