vs
| 04/25/25 - Away | 8-3 W |
| 04/22/24 - Home | 3-4 L |
| 04/12/24 - Away | 8-11 L |
| 04/15/23 - Away | 6-9 L |
| 04/10/21 - Away | 15-2 W |
| + 3 more games |
Malad and Wendell are an even 4-4 against one another since May of 2015, but likely not for long. The Dragons will welcome the Trojans at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
On Thursday, Malad made easy work of Declo and carried off a 12-3 win. Considering the Dragons have won 13 contests by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Kurt Ward and Carter Carey made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Ward struck out six batters over 3.1 innings while giving up three earned runs off only two hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Carey struck out seven batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). At bat, Ward went a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI, while Carey got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
In other batting news, Easton Green and Carter Blaisdell did most of the damage at the plate: Green went a perfect 2-for-2 with four stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI, while Blaisdell went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. That's the most hits Green has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Ethan Horsley, who earned one run and four stolen bases.
Malad hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Declo struck out 13 times.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Wendell). They blew past Soda Springs 23-2 on Thursday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Trojans considering their two-run performance the game before.
Gunner Jones was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two hits in nine consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Julian Ponce, who fired off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. He has become a key player for Wendell: the team is undefeated when he posts at least three RBI, but 5-13-1 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Zayden Rogers, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three RBI.
Malad has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 13 of their last 15 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.1 runs over those games. As for Wendell, their win bumped their record up to 8-13-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Malad has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Wendell struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Malad was able to grind out a solid victory over Wendell when the teams last played on Friday, winning 8-3. Will the Dragons repeat their success, or do the Trojans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
