The St. Helens Lions will venture away from home to square off against the Scappoose Indians at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with St. Helens sitting on ten straight victories and Scappoose on six.
St. Helens gave up the first runs on Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They blew past Tillamook 16-4. Considering the Lions have won ten contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Eme Curaming was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Curaming was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Addy Ellis was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one double. Dakota Drake also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
St. Helens always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Tillamook only posted an OBP of .360.
Meanwhile, Scappoose got the win against Seaside on Tuesday by a conclusive 15-3. Considering the Indians have won 11 games by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Like St. Helens, Scappoose also got a great game from a two-way player: Elly Casey. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Casey was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Saige Casey, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Sophia Bloyd, who went 3-for-4 with three runs and one stolen base.
Scappoose pushed their record up to 15-1 with the win, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for St. Helens, their record now sits at 15-1.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. St. Helens has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .461. However, it's not like Scappoose struggles in that department as they've averaged .531. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
St. Helens beat Scappoose 5-2 in their previous meeting back in April. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lions since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
