Incline hasn't had much luck against Yerington recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Highlanders will challenge the Lions at 4:00 p.m. Incline will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each match than the last.
Incline made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Sierra Lutheran, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Highlanders fell just short of the Falcons by a score of 13-11 on Thursday. While the Highlanders didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Falcons 7-0 in the first period.
Tate Gitchell
| 03/15/25 @ Silver Stage | 3 |
| 04/17/25 vs Sierra Lutheran | 2 |
| 03/29/25 vs Battle Mountain | 2 |
| 03/29/25 vs Battle Mountain | 1 |
| 03/22/25 @ Pershing County | 1 |
| + 3 more games |
Tate Gitchell and Alex Briggs did some serious damage despite the final result: Gitchell earned one RBI, three runs, and two stolen bases, while Briggs went 1-for-3 with two runs and one triple. Gitchell is becoming a predictor of Incline's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 2-1 (and 3-11 when he doesn't). Andrew Bodel also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, Yerington had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.6 runs) and they went ahead and made it six on Saturday. They never let the Nighthawks get on the board and left with a 15-0 win. Considering the Lions have won 14 games by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Toby Juarez looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Yerington got a massive performance out of Ruben Jimenez, who went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave Jimenez a new career-high. Valor Angle was another key player, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI and one double.
Yerington kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in three consecutive contests.
Yerington pushed their record up to 18-3 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Incline, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-12.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Incline has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Yerington struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
