The Molalla Indians will head out on the road to take on The Dalles Riverhawks at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Molalla will be strutting in after a win while The Dalles will be coming in after a loss.
Molalla can't be too worried about heading out to take on The Dalles: they just beat Gladstone at home, who had been dominant on their own field up to that point. The Indians sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 victory over the Gladiators on Wednesday.
Kyler Dickerson
| 05/06/26 @ Gladstone | 6 |
| 04/29/26 @ Madras | 8 |
| 04/22/26 @ Estacada | 8 |
| 04/09/26 vs Philomath | 11 |
| 03/26/26 @ Hidden Valley | 7 |
Kyler Dickerson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on five hits and racked up six Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Mason Strohmeyer, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and two doubles. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Gavin Dunn, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, The Dalles didn't have quite enough to beat Estacada on Wednesday and fell 4-3. That's two games in a row now that the Riverhawks have lost by just one run.
Thatcher Dray was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one double.
Molalla has been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 13 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-6 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for The Dalles, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 12-8 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Molalla has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like The Dalles struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Molalla came out on top in a nail-biter against The Dalles in their previous meeting back in May of 2025, sneaking past 5-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Indians since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
