Eaglecrest is 8-2 against Smoky Hill since April of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Eaglecrest Raptors will look to defend their home field against the Smoky Hill Buffaloes at 4:15 p.m. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
Last Saturday, it was a hard-fought matchup, but Eaglecrest had to settle for a 6-5 defeat against Dakota Ridge. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Eaglecrest in their matchups with Dakota Ridge: they've now lost three in a row.
Cosme Vera was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out six batters over six innings while giving up four earned runs off six hits.
At the plate, Noah Brown was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times he's played. Another player making a difference was Brayden Stufft, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Meanwhile, Smoky Hill didn't have quite enough to beat Bear Creek on Friday and fell 3-1.
Smoky Hill saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Boden Crever, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Even though they lost, Smoky Hill didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with nine strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bear Creek only tossed five.
Eaglecrest's defeat dropped their record down to 4-4. As for Smoky Hill, their loss dropped their record down to 3-6.
Smoky Hill's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Eaglecrest has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .455. It's a different story for Smoky Hill, though, as they've only averaged .327. Will they be able to contain Eaglecrest's hitters?
Eaglecrest took their victory against Smoky Hill when the teams last played back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 14-2. Will Eaglecrest repeat their success, or does Smoky Hill have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
