The Skyview Hawks will be staying on the road on Friday to face off against the Columbia Wildcats at 5:30 p.m. Skyview is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 8.9 runs per game this season.
Skyview is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Idaho's top teams: Bishop Kelly, who was ranked 14th in their home state at the time (Skyview was ranked second). Skyview had just enough and edged Bishop Kelly out 3-1.
Gradyen Lucas spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered one run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up 13 Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't pitched less than five innings in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Skyview's win was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Caden Yesford, who went 1-for-3 with a triple, a run, and an RBI.
Meanwhile, Columbia had to endure a five-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They walked away with a 7-3 victory over Emmett on Wednesday.
Hunter Christensen was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching an inning while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Christensen was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and a double.
In other batting news, Austin Cornell was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Skyview pushed their record up to 16-1 with that win, which was their 17th straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Columbia, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 9-7.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both team's pitchers. Skyview hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .356. However, it's not like Columbia struggles in that department as they've averaged .316. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Skyview's way against Columbia in their previous meeting on April 3rd as Skyview made off with an 11-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Skyview since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
