Soda Springs is 0-10 against Malad since May of 2021 but things could change on Thursday. The Cardinals will head out on the road to take on the Dragons at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Soda Springs will bounce into Thursday's contest after beating Declo, who they had gone 0-6 against in their six prior meetings. The Cardinals put the hurt on the Hornets with a sharp 16-6 win on Monday. Winning may never get old, but the Cardinals sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Emily Thornock and Brynlee Hemmert did most of the damage at the plate: Thornock went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Hemmert went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run. That's the most RBI Hemmert has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Emma Taylor, who got on base in two of her three plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Soda Springs was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They are 8-2 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Malad). Their pitcher stepped up to hand West Side a 22-0 shutout on Tuesday. The Dragons are really starting to get used to good results now that the team has won 12 straight.
Riglee Peterson made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 15 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Malad got a massive performance out of Aubrey Shulz, who went 4-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles. Tylee Venable also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Malad's victory was their 16th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 21-2. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.0 runs over those games. As for Soda Springs, they now have a winning record of 9-8.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Soda Springs hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .374. However, it's not like Malad struggles in that department as they've averaged .433. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Soda Springs suffered a grim 13-0 defeat to Malad when the teams last played last Monday. Can the Cardinals avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
