The Emerald Ridge Jaguars will head out on the road to take on the Graham-Kapowsin Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Emerald Ridge is looking to tack on another W to their nine-game streak on the road dating back to last season.
Emerald Ridge only won by two when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 15-point they dealt Curtis on Monday. Emerald Ridge's pitchers stepped up to hand Curtis a 15-0 shutout.
Alanna Wirtala was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (she also didn't allow any walks). Wirtala was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 4-for-4.
In other pitching news, Carly Martin looked comfortable as she pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits (she also didn't allow any walks).
Back at the plate, Jayda Guadron and Kailey Verhoeven did most of the damage at the plate: Guadron went 3-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs, while Verhoeven went 3-for-3 with a home run, three runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Kaelyn Dyrdahl, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Graham-Kapowsin has not done well against Puyallup recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Monday. Graham-Kapowsin was the clear victor by a 20-2 margin over Puyallup. Graham-Kapowsin might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won four contests by 15 runs or more this season.
Like Emerald Ridge, Graham-Kapowsin also got a great game from a two-way player: Reagan Ovechka. She struck out eight batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off seven hits (and only one walk). Ovechka has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. Ovechka was also big at the plate, going 5-for-5 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, Graham-Kapowsin got a massive performance out of Payton Walling, who fired off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 3-for-5. Izzy Vargas was another key contributor, going 4-for-4 with four runs, a triple, and a double.
Emerald Ridge's record now sits at 3-0. As for Graham-Kapowsin, their record now sits at 4-2.
Wednesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Emerald Ridge has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .471. However, it's not like Graham-Kapowsin struggles in that department as they've averaged .513. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Emerald Ridge's way against Graham-Kapowsin in their previous matchup back in April of 2023 as Emerald Ridge made off with a 13-7 win. Will Emerald Ridge repeat their success, or does Graham-Kapowsin have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
