The Joseph City Wildcats will head out to take on the Bagdad Sultans at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Joseph City took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They never let Mayer get on the board and left with a 15-0 victory. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Joseph City considering their two-run performance the contest before.
The team relied heavily on April Neill, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Gabby Jesmer was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Bagdad made easy work of Desert Heights Prep on Wednesday and carried off a 17-0 win. The Sultans haven't had any issues with the Yote recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Tatum Jeans made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Anna Williams was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Jaylyn Rodriguez, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and one double.
Bagdad was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .607. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .310 or higher in eight consecutive matchups.
Joseph City pushed their record up to 20-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Bagdad, their win bumped their record up to 13-4.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Joseph City has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .554. However, it's not like Bagdad struggles in that department as they've averaged .637. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Joseph City's way against Bagdad in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, as Joseph City made off with a 26-4 victory. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Sultans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
