The Tooele Buffaloes will square off against the Bear River Bears at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Tooele is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.2 runs per game this season.
Tooele is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They never let Park City onto the board and left with a 10-0 victory. The result was nothing new for Tooele, who have now won ten matchups by eight runs or more so far this season.
Aubrie Hansen was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Hansen has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. Hansen was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
In other batting news, Rose Kimball was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2. Another player making a difference was Olivia Nelson, who scored a run while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Bear River, who bounced back after a loss on the road back in April. They came out on top against Logan by a score of 9-5 two weeks ago.
Katelyn Wilson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and one unearned) runs on six hits and racked up 14 Ks.
On the hitting side, Bear River let Aubree Fry and Bella Douglas loose on the outfield. Fry went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and a triple, while Douglas scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaya Towne, who scored three runs while going 2-for-4.
Tooele has been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 13 games, which provided a nice bump to their 16-8 record this season. As for Bear River, their record is now 13-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Tooele has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bear River struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.8. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Tooele might still be hurting after the 10-0 loss they got from Bear River in their previous meeting back in April of 2023. Can Tooele avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
