The Filer Wildcats will take on the Jerome Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Filer is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
On Monday, Filer didn't have quite enough to beat Buhl and fell 5-3.
Filer saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ava Smith, who went 3-for-4 with one home run and one double. Another was Heidi Winegar, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Jerome came tearing into Thursday's matchup with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 13-12 W against Mountain Home.
Ellie Helmer was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and two runs. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Sawyer Gararad, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
Jerome kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in six consecutive contests.
Jerome's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.2 runs over those games. As for Filer, their loss dropped their record down to 6-11-1.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Filer hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Jerome struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.9 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
