The Rocky Mountain Grizzlies will head out to take on the Mountain View Mavericks at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Rocky Mountain is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
Rocky Mountain is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Idaho's top teams: Boise, who was ranked 22nd at the time (Rocky Mountain was ranked 16th). The Grizzlies narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Brave 10-8. The high-scoring effort was just what the Grizzlies needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.
Megan McCormick spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and six unearned) runs on nine hits.
On the hitting side, Danica Quinn was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base. Hadley Griggs also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
They weren't the only ones working in the home run department: Rocky Mountain lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since back in March.
Meanwhile, Mountain View had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. Everything went their way against the Golden Eagles as they made off with an 8-1 victory. The Mavericks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matches by seven runs or more this season.
Katy Jackson made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out 16 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 15 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, firing off two home runs while going 2-for-3. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tayelynn Puyleart, who went 3-for-4 with one home run and four RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Kiki Bangham, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI.
Mountain View pushed their record up to 11-5 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Rocky Mountain, they moved to 12-10 with that win, which also ended their four-game losing streak.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Rocky Mountain hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .317. However, it's not like Mountain View struggles in that department as they've averaged .346. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Rocky Mountain couldn't quite finish off Mountain View in their previous matchup back in March and fell 9-7. Can the Grizzlies avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
