The Sentinel Spartans will head out to square off against the Capital Bruins at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Sentinel is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
Sentinel made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Helena, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Spartans fell just short of the Bengals by a score of 3-1 on Tuesday. The loss continues a trend for the Spartans in their meetings with the Bengals: they've now lost three in a row.
Alyssa Hanninen spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, Sentinel saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Hailey Papp, who went 1-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Capital had to endure a seven-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over Hellgate on Thursday. The Bruins not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since May 7, 2024 (when they won 15-0).
Calyse Hendrix looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Capital got a massive performance out of Ella Krepps, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and three RBI. Those three runs gave Krepps a new career-high. Sophie Smith was another key player, going 2-for-3 with four RBI, two doubles, and one run.
Capital always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .621. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Hellgate only posted an OBP of .250.
Capital's record now sits at 3-9. As for Sentinel, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-7.
Capital's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Saturday. Sentinel has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Capital, though, as they've been averaging only 1.8 strikeouts. Will Sentinel keep running through batters, or will the Bruins buck the trend?
Sentinel took their victory against Capital in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 15-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Spartans since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
