West Side hasn't had much luck against Malad recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Pirates will face off against the Dragons at 4:00 p.m. West Side has given up an average of 10.4 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
West Side is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 16 runs on Friday, they were much more limited against Bear Lake on Saturday. They came up short against the Bears, falling 11-1.
Halle Taylor was cooking despite her team's loss, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Malad got the win against Firth on Monday by a conclusive 17-2. Considering the Dragons have won 15 contests by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
The team relied heavily on Aspen Bingham, who went 1-for-2 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Karlee Blaisdell, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Malad was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They are a perfect 13-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Malad has been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 12 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.3 runs over those games. As for West Side, they now have a losing record of 8-9.
Wednesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. West Side hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .455. However, it's not like Malad struggles in that department as they've averaged .417. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
West Side suffered a grim 18-0 defeat to Malad when the teams last played on April 8th. Can the Pirates avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.