The Thunder Ridge Titans will face off against the Rigby Trojans at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. The timing is sure in Thunder Ridge's favor as the squad sits on nine straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Rigby has been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road.
Thunder Ridge is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Madison a 16-0 shutout on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Titans, who have now won eight games by six runs or more so far this season.
Carly Jones looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in ten consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Thunder Ridge got a massive performance out of Zoey Sorg, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. That's the most runs Sorg has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Kenley Butler, who fired off two home runs and five RBI while going 2-for-3.
Thunder Ridge always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .700. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Rigby came up short against Highland on Wednesday and fell 18-14.
Madison Jensen led a balanced group of hitters, going 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season. Samantha Bishop was another key player, going 3-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Thunder Ridge is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 12 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Rigby, their loss dropped their record down to 6-10.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Thunder Ridge hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .330. However, it's not like Rigby struggles in that department as they've averaged .336. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Thunder Ridge took their win against Rigby when the teams last played last Tuesday by a conclusive 14-3 score. Do the Titans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Trojans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
