The Hanford Falcons are taking a road trip to take on the Southridge Suns at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Hanford's pitching crew has only allowed 2.5 runs per game this season, so Southridge's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Hanford proved they can win big on Friday (they won by 22) and on Tuesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Moses Lake 2-1. Winning may never get old, but the Falcons sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Heidi Sweet made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out nine batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 14 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Kenzie Hofstad was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI. Neve Jimenez also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Southridge came out on top against Walla Walla on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run second inning. The Suns walked away with a 10-6 win over the Blue Devils. The victory continues a trend for the Suns in their matchups with the Blue Devils: they've now won six in a row.
Like Hanford, Southridge also got a great game from a two-way player: Avery Garvey. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits. Garvey was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her five plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Jadyn Holdren and Orian Hagen did most of the damage at the plate: Holdren went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI, while Hagen went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one stolen base. Those two stolen bases gave Holdren a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Faith Hickman, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Hanford's record now sits at 16-4. As for Southridge, their record is now 11-8.
Southridge's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Hanford has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Southridge, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.7 strikeouts. Will Hanford keep running through batters, or will the Suns buck the trend?
Hanford was able to grind out a solid win over Southridge in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, winning 10-5. Will the Falcons repeat their success, or do the Suns have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
