The Kendrick Tigers will head out to face off against the Clearwater Valley Rams at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Kendrick is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Kendrick barely beat Prairie the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Tigers were the clear victors by a 17-3 margin over the Pirates on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won seven games by nine runs or more so far this season.
Hudson Kirkland made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit in four consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles.
In other batting news, Kendrick got a massive performance out of Xavier Carpenter, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-4. Morgan Boyer was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Kendrick kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Clearwater Valley). They blew past Nezperce 23-9 on Thursday. The Rams haven't had any issues with the Nighthawks recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Tiago Pickering was a standout: he scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Cameron Whitcomb also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Kendrick's record is now 9-0. As for Clearwater Valley, the victory got them back to even at 6-6.
Clearwater Valley's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Kendrick has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.4 hits per game. It's a different story for Clearwater Valley, though, as they've been averaging 9 hits. Given Kendrick's sizable advantage in that area, the Rams will need to find a way to close that gap.
Kendrick took their win against Clearwater Valley when the teams last played on Tuesday by a conclusive 12-1 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
