The Timberline Wolves and the Garfield Bulldogs will meet in a dog eat dog contest at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Timberline will come into the match with an undefeated record on the line.
On Friday, Timberline made easy work of Idaho Falls and carried off a 10-4 victory. Fans of the Wolves have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 6+ runs.
Ysabela Pereira made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Pereira was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one RBI.
In other batting news, Ivy Norskog and Arianna Lough did most of the damage at the plate: Norskog went 3-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run, while Lough went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That triple was Norskog's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Olivia Lauber, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
Timberline was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .483. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .483 or higher in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Garfield started off well but failed to capitalize on an early lead against Rocky Mountain. They took a 9-6 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Grizzlies on Friday. The game marked the Bulldogs' lowest-scoring match so far this season.
Ella Howard spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and eight unearned) runs on six hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Jordana King made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one double. Joie Cunningham was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Timberline's win bumped their record up to 5-0. As for Garfield, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 4-1.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Saturday. Timberline hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like Garfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.8 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
