The Pocatello Thunder will take on the Jerome Tigers at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Pocatello sitting on 13 straight victories and Jerome on six.
Pocatello is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Bonneville 7-6. That's two games straight that the Thunder have won by just one run.
The team relied heavily on Oakley Hirschi, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Azlin Bullock, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Jerome faced off against Burley on Thursday. The Tigers put the hurt on the Bobcats with a sharp 17-7 victory.
Briaunna Robbinette spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and five unearned) runs on six hits.
On the hitting side, Emma Allen was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Ellie Helmer, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one double.
Jerome always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .595. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Burley only posted an OBP of .393.
Pocatello's win was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 21-4. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.5 runs on average over those games. As for Jerome, their win bumped their record up to 17-11.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Pocatello hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .367. However, it's not like Jerome struggles in that department as they've averaged .396. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Pocatello's way against Jerome in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Pocatello made off with a 13-0 victory. Do the Thunder have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tigers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
