The Spanish Springs Cougars will square off against the Reed Raiders at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Spanish Springs is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Bishop Manogue 10-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Cougars have posted against the Miners since February 29, 2024.
Spanish Springs let Kacyn Gifford and Madison Rogers run wild. Gifford went 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI, while Rogers went 2-for-4 with four RBI, one triple, and one run. That's the most RBI Rogers has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Lily Spease, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Reed faced Spanish Springs in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Raiders came out on top against the Cougars by a score of 12-8. The win was nothing new for the Raiders as they're now sitting on five straight.
Breanna Staats was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. Another player making a difference was Tiare Kanae, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and four RBI.
Reed hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in nine consecutive contests.
Spanish Springs is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 23-11-1 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for Reed, their win bumped their record up to 29-5.
Saturday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Spanish Springs has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .479. However, it's not like Reed struggles in that department as they've averaged .438. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Spanish Springs couldn't quite get it done against Reed in their previous meeting on Friday as they fell 12-8. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
