The Idaho Falls Tigers will head out on the road to challenge the Hillcrest Knights at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Idaho Falls is coming into the contest on a six-game losing streak.
Idaho Falls' last matchup with Blackfoot could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's game on Tuesday. The Tigers lost 13-3 to the Broncos.
Idaho Falls saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Anthony Morales, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2. Hudson Palmer also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Hillcrest). They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 17-15 victory over Thunder Ridge on Monday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Knights considering their one-run performance the matchup before.
Andrew Johnson looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Cole Croft was incredible, going 3-for-4 with four runs, five RBI, and one double. Those four runs gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Draidyn Allen, who went 2-for-4 with two triples, three RBI, and one run.
Hillcrest always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. They are 3-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Hillcrest pushed their record up to 6-9 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Idaho Falls, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-14.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Idaho Falls has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Hillcrest struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
