Palisade is a perfect 10-0 against Rifle since April of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. The Bulldogs will be playing at home against the Bears at 11:00 a.m. The timing is sure in Palisade's favor as the squad sits on three straight wins at home while Rifle has been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road.
On Friday, Palisade made easy work of Grand Junction and carried off an 11-3 win. Considering the Bulldogs have won nine matches by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Christian Herrera
| 05/02/25 vs Grand Junction | 2 |
| 04/25/25 @ Montrose | 1 |
| 04/15/25 @ Grand Junction Central | 1 |
| 04/11/25 @ Fruita Monument | 0 |
| 03/19/25 @ Pueblo County | 1 |
| 03/14/25 vs Fossil Ridge | 2 |
Christian Herrera looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. What's more, he posted two strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
On the hitting side, Palisade got a big performance out of Tobyn Trottier, who went 2-for-4 with one home run. The team also got some help courtesy of Ascher Morby, who went 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBI.
Palisade was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .531. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .300 or higher in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Rifle had to endure a six-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They walked away with a 7-2 victory over Roaring Fork on Wednesday.
Ryder Bjurstrom spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on three hits and racked up 12 Ks. He has become a key player for Rifle: the team is undefeated when he posts at least eight strikeouts, but 4-9 otherwise.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Adan Medina, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. Another player making a difference was Robbie Magnuson, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Palisade has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 12-8 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Rifle, the victory got them back to even at 9-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Palisade has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Rifle struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Palisade's way against Rifle when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Palisade made off with a 10-4 win. Will the Bulldogs repeat their success, or do the Bears have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
