The Jefferson Raiders will venture away from home to take on the Mt. Rainier Rams at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Jefferson is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.6 runs per game this season.
On Wednesday, Jefferson got the win against Beamer by a conclusive 16-3. The win continues a trend for the Raiders in their matchups with the Titans: they've now won four in a row.
Delaney Merritt was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one triple, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Jefferson let Jesabella Arceo and Julia Mears run wild. Arceo got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI, while Mears went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That's the most stolen bases Arceo has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Amariah Moore, who earned three runs and two stolen bases.
Jefferson always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Beamer only posted an OBP of .385.
Meanwhile, Mt. Rainier beat Jefferson 5-2 last Friday.
Like Jefferson, Mt. Rainier also got a great game from a two-way player: Kadence Avila Petitt. On the mound, she struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Avila Petitt was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Avila Petitt wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Sydney Young, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one double.
Jefferson's victory bumped their record up to 9-11. As for Mt. Rainier, their win bumped their record up to 6-10.
Mt. Rainier's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Jefferson has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.4 hits per game. It's a different story for Mt. Rainier, though, as they've been averaging 12.1 hits. Given Jefferson's sizable advantage in that area, the Rams will need to find a way to close that gap.
Jefferson couldn't quite get it done against Mt. Rainier when the teams last played last Friday as they fell 5-2. Can the Raiders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
