The Bothell Cougars will head out to square off against the Skyline Spartans at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Bothell barely beat Mercer Island the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Cougars were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Islanders on Monday. With that victory, the Cougars brought their scoring average up to 6.4 runs per game.
Jarrett Tyler spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on five hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, Teyton Hardeman was a standout: he scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March. Brady Stutz was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Bothell always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .543. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mercer Island only posted an OBP of .261.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Skyline, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. Everything went their way against Newport - Bellevue on Monday as they made off with a 13-3 win. The Spartans' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Yuki Ikeuchi looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Skyline got a massive performance out of Otis Fontonelle, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Braden Bartholomae, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI and one double.
Skyline now has a winning record of 7-6. As for Bothell, their record now sits at 9-6.
Bothell took their victory against Skyline in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 13-6 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
