Mt. Rainier hasn't had much luck against Tahoma recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Rams will face off against the Bears at 7:00 p.m. Mt. Rainier has given up an average of 9.3 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Mt. Rainier lost 12-2 to Auburn Riverside on Wednesday. The Rams have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Meanwhile, Tahoma had already won 15 in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it 16 on Wednesday. They never let the Lancers get on the board and left with an 11-0 win. Give the Bears' pitching crew some credit: that's the team's third straight shutout.
The result came thanks to Alexa Ramirez's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up 15 Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in eight consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Kalani Higa and Lily Tausch did most of the damage at the plate: Higa went 3-for-5 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs, while Tausch got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run and three runs. That home run was Tausch's first of the season. Taryn Jones was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Tahoma kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in 12 consecutive matches.
Tahoma pushed their record up to 19-2 with the victory, which was their 17th straight on the road dating back to last season. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.8 runs over those games. As for Mt. Rainier, their loss dropped their record down to 7-7.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Mt. Rainier hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like Tahoma struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.5 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Mt. Rainier might still be hurting after the 20-0 defeat they got from Tahoma in their previous meeting back in April. Can the Rams avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
