Coal Ridge is 2-8 against Rifle since March of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Titans will welcome the Bears at 4:00 p.m. Coal Ridge will be looking to extend their current 13-game winning streak.
On Friday, Coal Ridge made easy work of Meeker and carried off a 15-5 victory. Considering the Titans have won 16 matches by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
John Luke Houston made a splash no matter where he played. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Houston was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Logan Harlow and Ben Simons did most of the damage at the plate: Harlow went 3-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI, while Simons went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most hits Harlow has posted since back in May of 2024. Dylan Miller was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two RBI and one run.
Coal Ridge was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .560. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .310 or higher in 13 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Saturday just wasn't the day for Rifle's offense. They lost 10-0 to Palisade on Saturday.
Coal Ridge's win was their 11th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 17-2-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Rifle, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost seven of their last eight contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 9-10 record this season.
Rifle's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Coal Ridge hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .413. It's a different story for Rifle, though, as they've only averaged .258. Will they be able to contain Coal Ridge's hitters?
Coal Ridge beat Rifle 8-3 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Do the Titans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bears turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
