The Pocatello Thunder will venture away from home to square off against the Wood River Wolverines at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Pocatello barely beat Hillcrest the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Thunder put the hurt on the Knights with a sharp 14-1 victory on Monday. The Thunder haven't had any issues with the Knights recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive win against them.
Jakobi Nebeker was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. Azlin Bullock was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Wood River). They were the clear victors by a 23-6 margin over Minico on Thursday. The victory was nothing new for the Wolverines as they're now sitting on five straight.
Makinzie Nelson made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits (and not a single walk). Nelson was even better at the plate, firing off three home runs, seven RBI, and one double while going 4-for-4. She is on a roll when it comes to home runs, as she's now launched at least one in each of the last eight games she's played.
In other batting news, Hadley Elsbree was a standout: she went 3-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Another player making a difference was Marlee McLean, who went 3-for-4 with four runs and three RBI.
Wood River always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .744. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Wood River pushed their record up to 7-9 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.5 runs over those games. As for Pocatello, their record now sits at 10-4.
Saturday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Pocatello has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .432. However, it's not like Wood River struggles in that department as they've averaged .448. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Pocatello's way against Wood River in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, as Pocatello made off with a 16-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Thunder since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
