The Quilcene Rangers will challenge the Northwest Christian Wolverines at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Quilcene comes in on eight and Northwest Christian on three.
While Quilcene's win against Darrington wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Rangers sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-5 victory over the Loggers on Monday.
Eli Allen made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 14 over six innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four stolen bases and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jayden Minish, who went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Robert Evans was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, Northwest Christian made easy work of Evergreen Lutheran on Tuesday and carried off a 12-5 win. The result was nothing new for the Wolverines, who have now won seven games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Like Quilcene, Northwest Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Travis Elmore. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Elmore was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Jadon Dillingham was incredible, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. That double marked the first that he has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Parker Cox, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
Northwest Christian kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive contests.
Quilcene's victory was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-0. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.2 runs over those games. As for Northwest Christian, their record now sits at 8-2.
Both Quilcene and Northwest Christian just can't seem to miss. The Rangers have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.5 hits per game. However, it's not like Northwest Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 3.6 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Quilcene came out on top in a nail-biter against Northwest Christian when the teams last played back in March, sneaking past 1-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rangers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
