Rifle is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Saturday. They will be playing at home against the Eagle Valley Devils at 11:00 a.m. Rifle is looking for their season's first win.
Rifle couldn't beat Aspen on Wednesday even though they stacked four runs on them in the fifth inning. The Bears fell just short of the Skiers by a score of 9-8.
Remington Decrow put in work while hitting and pitching. He struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Decrow was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Tyler Arnold was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Kale Potter, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI.
While Eagle Valley didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Weld Central two weeks ago, sneaking past 8-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Devils have posted since April 16, 2025.
Like Rifle, Eagle Valley also got a great game from a two-way player: Hudson Rozga. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over 6.1 innings while giving up five earned runs off five hits. Rozga has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two triples, one run, and one RBI. Those two triples gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Colter Blakey was a standout: he went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. He is becoming a predictor of Eagle Valley's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 1-2 when he doesn't). Xander DeHerrera was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Eagle Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Weld Central only posted an OBP of .382.
The win made it two in a row for Eagle Valley and bumps their season record up to 6-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Rifle, their loss dropped their record down to 0-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Rifle has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Eagle Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
