For the second straight game, Columbine will face off against Ralston Valley. The Rebels will host the Mustangs at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Columbine has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Ralston Valley will arrive with four straight victories.
Thursday just wasn't the day for Columbine's offense. They came up short against Ralston Valley on Thursday, falling 12-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Rebels have suffered against the Mustangs since April 17, 2018.
For Ralston Valley's part, they got a great performance from Jake Watts as he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Ralston Valley let Degan Gregory and Nico Benallo run wild. Gregory went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and one RBI, while Benallo went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run. Gregory is becoming a predictor of Ralston Valley's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 4-6 when he doesn't). Brayden Gillest was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Ralston Valley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .536. The last time their batting average was this high was back in April of 2024.
Ralston Valley's win bumped their record up to 9-6. As for Columbine, their loss dropped their record down to 6-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Columbine has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ralston Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
