Chief Sealth hasn't had much luck against Ballard recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Seahawks will venture away from home to square off against the Beavers at 4:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Chief Sealth 3, Ballard 2.3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Ballard will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: Chief Sealth extended their winning streak to three on Friday. Everything went the Seahawks' way against Rainier Beach as they made off with a 14-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Seahawks, who have now won ten games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Sam Popelka looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances.
Nolan Vanbuskirk
| 04/25/25 vs Rainier Beach | 4 |
| 03/31/25 @ Franklin | 3 |
| 03/29/25 @ Washington | 3 |
| 03/20/25 vs Highline | 3 |
| 04/04/25 vs Franklin | 2 |
At the plate, Nolan Vanbuskirk was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, three RBI, and one double. Those four runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Teo Perala, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI and one double.
Chief Sealth kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Ballard got themselves on the board against Seattle Academy on Monday, but Seattle Academy never followed suit. They blew past the Cardinals 6-0. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Beavers.
Ballard saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Truitt Madonna, who went 1-for-3 with one triple and one run. Bennett Klein also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Ballard's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-5. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.3 runs on average over those games. As for Chief Sealth, their record now sits at 13-7.
Ballard's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Chief Sealth hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .312. It's a different story for Ballard, though, as they've only averaged .254. Will they be able to contain Chief Sealth's hitters? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
