Boise hasn't had much luck against Owyhee recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Brave will look to defend their home field against the Storm at 5:00 p.m. The last three games Boise has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
On Thursday, Boise needed a bit of extra time to put away Centennial. They won by a run and slipped past the Patriots 9-8. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Brave as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Allie Gore was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed 5.1 innings while giving up three earned runs off four hits. Gore was also big at the plate, going 2-for-5 with one home run and two RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, Boise let Riley Hopstad and Lily Binford run wild. Hopstad went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases and two runs, while Binford went 2-for-5 with one home run. Those three stolen bases gave Hopstad a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kamryn Newbery, who went 1-for-5 with one home run and two runs.
Meanwhile, Owyhee strolled into their game on Thursday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They didn't even let Ridgevue on the board, marking the Storm's second-straight 12-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Storm, who have now won 14 games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Grace Brooks made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over 4.2 innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. That stolen base was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Maddilynn McNulty, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one double. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Caitlyn Geiser, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Owyhee was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .308 or higher in five consecutive matches.
Owyhee's win was their 19th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 21-0. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.2 runs over those games. As for Boise, their win bumped their record up to 12-9.
Boise couldn't quite get it done against Owyhee when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 10-7. Can the Brave avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
