The Pacific Ridge Firebirds will head out on the road to face off against the Tri-City Christian Eagles at 2:45 p.m. on Monday. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
The matchup between Pacific Ridge and Coastal Academy last Thursday hardly resembled the 2-1 effort from their previous meeting. Pacific Ridge fell just short of Coastal Academy by a score of 11-9. Pacific Ridge has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Wyatt Ogle was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. On the mound, he struck out ten batters over 5.1 innings while giving up three earned (and four unearned) runs off eight hits. Ogle was even better at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now stolen at least one in the last three games he's played.
In other batting news, Quade Kelley made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored four runs while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Lee Footer, who scored a run while going 1-for-4.
Even though they lost, Pacific Ridge didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 13 strikeouts. That's the most strikeouts they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, it was a hard-fought matchup, but Tri-City Christian had to settle for an 8-7 defeat against Canyon Hills on Thursday.
Jace Croke and Sam Denning stepped up to the plate in a big way. Croke scored a run while going 1-for-3, while Denning scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
Pacific Ridge's record now sits at 4-12. As for Tri-City Christian, their record now sits at 2-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Pacific Ridge has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Tri-City Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.5. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Pacific Ridge suffered a grim 11-2 defeat to Tri-City Christian in their previous matchup back in May of 2023. Can Pacific Ridge avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
