The Ropes Eagles will face off against the Friona Chieftans at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Ropes is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past McCamey 23-1 on Thursday. The victory was nothing new for the Eagles as they're now sitting on three straight.
Garland Higginbothum made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
Ryland Keith
| 02/26/26 vs McCamey | 5 |
| 02/21/26 vs Memorial | 3 |
| 02/21/26 vs Abilene | 2 |
| 02/16/26 @ Greenwood | 1 |
In other batting news, Ropes got a massive performance out of Ryland Keith, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with five runs, two stolen bases, and three RBI. Keith continues to improve, besting his previous run total in each of the last three games he's played. Jaivyth Cruz was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, four runs, and four RBI.
Ropes always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .705. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Friona made easy work of Smyer on Thursday and carried off an 11-5 win.
Jameson Daniels and Marcelo Leon did most of the damage at the plate: Daniels went a perfect 4-for-4 with four stolen bases, two RBI, and one run, while Leon got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base. Those three runs gave Leon a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Hector Aguirre, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Friona's victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Ropes, their win bumped their record up to 5-2.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Ropes has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .465. However, it's not like Friona struggles in that department as they've averaged .647. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Ropes got the 'W' in their previous matchup back in March of 2023 against Friona by a conclusive 11-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
