Doherty extended their losing streak to nine on Saturday, dropping them down to 1-13. They lost 12-6 to the Smoky Hill Buffaloes. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Buffaloes this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 15-4 on September 6th.
Sophia Jaramillo was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. On the mound, she struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits. That's the fewest earned runs she has allowed since September 4th. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles.
In other batting news, Cayla Baker made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one home run and two runs. Laila Thurman also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
As for Smoky Hill, their victory bumped their record up to 7-12. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for their hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Like Doherty, Smoky Hill also got a great game from a two-way player: Kadynce Schutt. She struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off eight hits. Those nine strikeouts gave Schutt a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her five plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
In other batting news, Smoky Hill got a massive performance out of Nikiah Light, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one double. Those four RBI gave Light a new career-high. Ellen Paris was another key player, going 3-for-5 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base.
Coming up, Doherty will take on Pueblo West at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Spartans' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Cyclones have averaged an impressive 9.1 runs per game this season. As for Smoky Hill, they will square off against Overland at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
