The Western Boone Stars will challenge the Lafayette Jefferson Bronchos at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Lafayette Jefferson will square off against a team with plenty of momentum: Western Boone extended their winning streak to three on Monday. The Stars walked away with a 12-8 victory over Southmont. That's two games straight that the Stars have won by exactly four runs.
The team relied heavily on Kenzlei Mathews, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Mickayla Naanos, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
Western Boone hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Southmont struck out 11 times.
Meanwhile, Lafayette Jefferson made easy work of Marion on Saturday and carried off a 17-6 win. Considering the Bronchos have won eight matches by more than nine runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Andi Mooney was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Mooney was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Lafayette Jefferson let Maya Thomas and Evy Pitt run wild. Thomas went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Pitt went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one stolen base. That's the most hits Pitt has posted since back in April. Rilee Clifton was another key player, going 2-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Lafayette Jefferson is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games. That's provided a massive bump to their 14-9 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.5 runs on average over those games. As for Western Boone, they pushed their record up to 18-5 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Western Boone has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .458. However, it's not like Lafayette Jefferson struggles in that department as they've averaged .453. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Western Boone's way against Lafayette Jefferson when the teams last played back in May of 2022, as Western Boone made off with a 10-2 victory. Do the Stars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bronchos turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
