The Pueblo Centennial Bulldogs are taking a road trip to challenge the Widefield Gladiators at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Pueblo Centennial is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
Pueblo Centennial is headed into the matchup having just posted their closest victory since September 26, 2023 on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Alamosa 9-7. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bulldogs.
Ellie Zinanti spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and two unearned) runs on five hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Kayli Smiley, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. That stolen base was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Adrianna Lopez, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Pueblo Centennial was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Alamosa only posted a batting average of .185.
Meanwhile, Widefield made easy work of Pueblo East on Tuesday and carried off a 12-3 victory. The Gladiators might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matches by nine runs or more this season.
Olivia McEwen made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched seven innings while giving up three earned runs off seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in four consecutive pitching appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Taylor Hall was incredible, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Isabella Monk, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3.
Pueblo Centennial's record now sits at 3-1. As for Widefield, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Widefield's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Pueblo Centennial has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11 hits per game. It's a different story for Widefield, though, as they've been averaging 9. Given Pueblo Centennial's sizable advantage in that area, Widefield will need to find a way to close that gap.
Pueblo Centennial skirted past Widefield 12-11 in their previous meeting back in August of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Pueblo Centennial since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
