The Cedaredge Bruins will face off against the Sargent Farmers at 12:00 p.m. on Friday. Cedaredge is coming into the game hot, having won their last eight games.
Cedaredge will bounce into Friday's contest after beating Rangely, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Bruins were the clear victors by a 16-1 margin over the Panthers on Saturday. Considering the Bruins have won six matchups by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Brady Cooper was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Carson Rupp, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2. Trenton Ryan was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Sargent, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They walked away with a 7-3 win over Sierra Grande on Tuesday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Farmers as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Like Cedaredge, Sargent also got a great game from a two-way player: Tytus Atencio. He struck out 11 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. With that strong performance, Atencio is now averaging an impressive 5.6 strikeouts per game. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing four bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. He is becoming a predictor of Sargent's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is undefeated (and 2-4 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Landon Velasquez was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Kenyon Knorr, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Cedaredge pushed their record up to 8-1 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Sargent, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Cedaredge has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Sargent struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
