Ellensburg is 2-8 against Selah since April of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Bulldogs will head out to face off against the Vikings at 3:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
While Ellensburg didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They were the clear victors by a 13-4 margin over Prosser on Friday. The victory was familiar territory for the Bulldogs, who have now won six contests in a row.
Olivia Carlson
| 04/11/25 @ Prosser | 5 |
| 04/04/25 vs Quincy | 6 |
| 03/28/25 vs Toppenish | 6 |
Olivia Carlson was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances. She also hit a double, marking her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sarah Stueckle, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3. Cheyenne Shewell also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Ellensburg kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.4 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matchups they've averaged 12.4.
Meanwhile, Selah never let their opponents score on Friday. They put the hurt on Toppenish with a sharp 24-0 win. While the Vikings didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Like Ellensburg, Selah also got a great game from a two-way player: Aspin Grubenhoff. On the mound, she struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Grubenhoff was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-4.
In other batting news, Ellie Urlacher was incredible, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, four runs, and five RBI. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 2.1 runs per game. Elliott McLaughlin was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three runs and four RBI.
Selah pushed their record up to 6-2 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Ellensburg, their record now sits at 7-2-1.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Tuesday. Ellensburg hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like Selah struggles in that department as they've been averaging 1.8 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Ellensburg might still be hurting after the 13-3 defeat they got from Selah when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Bulldogs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
