The Pullman Greyhounds will take on the North Central Wolfpack at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Pullman came out on top against East Valley on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run fourth inning. The Greyhounds were the clear victors by a 12-1 margin over the Knights. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Greyhounds.
Pullman let Will Denney and Braden Barnett run wild. Denney went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs, while Barnett got on base in two of his three plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs. The team also got some help courtesy of James Halverson, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI and one run.
Pullman always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as East Valley only posted an OBP of .200.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for North Central, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Monday. Everything went their way against Rogers on Thursday as they made off with a 14-7 victory. The win continues a trend for the Wolfpack in their matchups with the Pirates: they've now won six in a row.
Nicholas Elliott made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because North Central is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 2-6 otherwise. Elliott was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Beckham Ferguson looked comfortable as he pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Tavish Carruthers, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Giancarlo Lentes, who went 3-for-5 with three runs and one double.
Pullman's victory bumped their record up to 8-2. As for North Central, their win bumped their record up to 4-7.
North Central's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Pullman hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .327. It's a different story for North Central, though, as they've only averaged .255. Will they be able to contain Pullman's hitters?
Everything went Pullman's way against North Central in their previous meeting back in March, as Pullman made off with a 15-1 victory. Do the Greyhounds have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Wolfpack turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
