The Mountain Mission Challengers will be defending their home field for the first time this season when they go up against the Jackson City Tigers at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
As a matter of fact, Mountain Mission put up the most runs they have all season last Friday. They blew past Phelps 16-5. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Challengers with their most commanding win of the season.
Alexanda Nyakemori, Jr. made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four stolen bases, five RBI, and one triple. That triple was his first of the season.
Biruk Kifle
| 05/02/25 @ Phelps | 3 |
| 04/21/25 @ Montcalm | 3 |
| 04/24/25 @ Grundy | 2 |
| 04/12/25 @ Jefferson Christian Academy | 2 |
| 04/28/25 @ Summit Christian Academy | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
In other batting news, Mountain Mission let Elawi Dawit and Biruk Kifle run wild. Dawit went 2-for-4 with four stolen bases, two runs, and one triple, while Kifle went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Kifle has become a key player for Mountain Mission: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 2-4 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Ezekiel Peters, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Mountain Mission kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 8.8.
Jackson City came out on top against Phelps on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run second inning. The Tigers walked away with an 11-7 win over the Hornets. With that victory, the Tigers brought their scoring average up to 6.3 runs per game.
Caige Ellis made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April. He was even better at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Jacob Morgan was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, four RBI, and one run. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Gavan Ritchie was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Jackson City pushed their record up to 12-9 with the win, which was their seventh straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.4 runs over those games. As for Mountain Mission, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 6-4 record this season.
Saturday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Mountain Mission has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .469. However, it's not like Jackson City struggles in that department as they've averaged .446. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
