The Rio Americano Raiders will face off against the Bella Vista Broncos at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Rio Americano's pitching crew has only allowed 2.9 runs per game this season, so Bella Vista's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Rio Americano turned things around against Woodcreek on Saturday. They walked away with an 8-5 victory over the Timberwolves.
Pierce Tully was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Tully was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (three).
Derek Gale
| 03/15/25 @ Woodcreek | 3 |
| 03/06/25 vs Vista del Lago | 2 |
| 03/15/25 @ Woodcreek | 1 |
| 03/01/25 vs Cordova | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Derek Gale, who scored a run while going 3-for-4. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in hits. Trey Howell-Chase also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Bella Vista, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Ponderosa 2-1 on Wednesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Broncos have posted since April 25, 2024.
Devin James tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out nine over six innings pitched. What's more, he gave up only zero earned runs, the fewest he's had since back in April of 2024.
At the plate, Bella Vista's victory was truly a team effort as two different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Drew Longaker, who went 1-for-2 with one double and one RBI.
Bella Vista's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 3-4. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Rio Americano, their victory bumped their record up to 5-6.
Rio Americano came up short against Bella Vista in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, falling 8-3. Can Rio Americano avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
