The Ponderosa Bruins will challenge the Vanden Vikings at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Ponderosa sitting on 11 straight victories and Vanden on 15.
Ponderosa is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. Everything went their way against Merced as they made off with an 11-1 win. The Bruins might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 contests by six runs or more this season.
Haley Warney
| 05/16/25 vs Merced | 1 |
| 05/14/25 vs Antelope | 1 |
| 05/06/25 vs Woodcreek | 1 |
Ponderosa got a great performance from Haley Warney as she tossed five innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. Warney has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Molly McFarland, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Ellie Escobar, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Ponderosa always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .519. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Merced only posted an OBP of .286.
Meanwhile, Vanden earned a 5-1 victory over West Park on Friday.
Isabella Cueva spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on three hits.
On the hitting side, Niayli Calvo was excellent, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Ayrelyn Chavez, who went 2-for-4 with two runs.
Vanden's win was their tenth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-4. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.2 runs over those games. As for Ponderosa, their win bumped their record up to 16-8.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Ponderosa hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .393. However, it's not like Vanden struggles in that department as they've averaged .399. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Ponderosa skirted past Vanden 2-1 when the teams last played back in May of 2015. Will the Bruins repeat their success, or do the Vikings have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
