The Central Kitsap Cougars will head out on the road to challenge the River Ridge Hawks at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Central Kitsap will bounce into Monday's matchup after beating Peninsula, who they hadn't topped in nine consecutive meetings. Everything went Central Kitsap's way against Peninsula on Tuesday as Central Kitsap made off with a 14-5 victory. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest win Central Kitsap has managed all season.
Coral Howell spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and one unearned) runs on nine hits.
At the plate, Ava Day was a standout: she went 1-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Eva Thompson, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for River Ridge, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They were the clear victor by a 13-1 margin over North Thurston on Thursday. The result was nothing new for River Ridge, who have now won five games by six runs or more so far this season.
Jaylah Sok Vandergriff made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. Sok Vandergriff has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. Sok Vandergriff was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Khloe Pickernell was incredible, going 1-for-2 with four RBI, two runs, and a triple. Jayden Kautz was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
Central Kitsap's victory ended a seven-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 4-10. As for River Ridge, their record is now 8-6.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Monday. Central Kitsap hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.8 home runs per game. However, it's not like River Ridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.4. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Central Kitsap came up short against River Ridge in their previous matchup on April 4th, falling 9-5. Can Central Kitsap avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
