It's hard to turn regular season success into postseason wins, a fact Malad can now relate to. They fell just short of the Grangeville Bulldogs by a score of 8-7 on Thursday. Malad's loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Brady Showell put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over 7.1 innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Showell has been consistent recently: he hasn't pitched less than five innings in eight consecutive pitching appearances. Showell was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with a triple, a double, and an RBI.
Showell wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Ryan Hubbard, who scored a run while going 2-for-5.
Like Malad, Grangeville also got a great game from a two-way player: Sam Lindsley. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over 5.2 innings while giving up five earned runs off five hits. Lindsley was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI.
Malad's defeat dropped their record down to 14-9. As for Grangeville, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 11 of their last 12 games, which provided a nice bump to their 22-4 record this season.
Malad will square off against Cole Valley Christian at 12:30 p.m. on Friday. Cole Valley Christian is coming into the matchup with three straight losses on the road, meaning Malad will have to defend against a squad hungry for a win. As for Grangeville, they will take on Challis at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The last three games Grangeville has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
