Owyhee is on a 21-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Middleton is on a nine-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Storm will host the Vikings at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Owyhee 2.7, Middleton 2.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Owyhee is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Idaho's top teams: Eagle, who was ranked 11th at the time (Owyhee was ranked first). The Storm never let the Mustangs get on the board and left with a 2-0 victory on Friday. That's two games straight that the Storm have won by exactly two runs.
Not much got past Heath Sasser-Gunson, who gave up just a hit and racked up 11 Ks to keep Eagle off the board. Sasser-Gunson has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two hits any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, Owyhee let Gage Haws and Matt Robertson run wild. Haws went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run, while Robertson went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. That double marked the first that Robertson has hit this season.
Meanwhile, Middleton had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They put the hurt on Centennial with a sharp 10-4 win on Thursday. Considering the Vikings have won 11 contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Ryan Collins made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted two strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other pitching news, Ian Lenius looked comfortable as he struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up four earned runs off five hits (and only one walk).
Back at the plate, Jeremiah Keithley was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Cam Lenius, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
Owyhee's victory bumped their record up to 22-1. As for Middleton, their win bumped their record up to 18-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Owyhee has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Middleton struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Owyhee took their victory against Middleton when the teams last played back in April by a conclusive 7-1 score. Do the Storm have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Vikings turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
