The Riverside Warriors will head out on the road to face off against the Capital Cougars at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Riverside has given up an average of 8 runs per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Riverside fell victim to Cabell Midland and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They came up short against the Knights, falling 13-0. The game marked the first time this season in which the Warriors were not able to get on the board.
Riverside saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Shaylea Blackhurst, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Capital hadn't done well against Ripley recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Cougars sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-7 victory over the Vikings. The win was some much needed relief for the Cougars as it spelled an end to their six-game losing streak.
Faithanna Hall made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up five earned (and two unearned) runs off eight hits. Hall was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Jadan Bishop was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3. She also put up a triple, which was her first of the season. Ella Sedosky was another key player, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
The loss snapped Riverside's winning streak at three games and leaves them with a 5-3 record. As for Capital, they picked up their first home victory, bumping their record up to 2-7.
Capital's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Riverside has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .492. It's a different story for Capital, though, as they've only averaged .349. Will they be able to contain Riverside's hitters?
Everything went Riverside's way against Capital in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, as Riverside made off with an 11-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
