Baseball Game Preview: Harper Woods Pioneers vs. Ferndale Eagles

For the second straight game, Harper Woods will face off against Ferndale. The Pioneers will be playing at home against the Eagles at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Harper Woods is coming into the matchup on a five-game losing streak.

Harper Woods lost 16-8 to Ferndale on Tuesday.

For Ferndale's part, Mason Shaltis made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and five unearned) runs off only two hits. Shaltis was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. He has become a key player for Ferndale: the team is 4-2 when he posts at least two runs, but 0-3 otherwise.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Taylor Williams, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, five RBI, and two runs. Ferndale is 2-1 when Williams posts two or more runs, but 2-4 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Jaylin Dennard, who went 1-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.

Ferndale always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .645. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

The win made it two in a row for Ferndale and bumps their season record up to 4-5. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.5 runs over those games. As for Harper Woods, they now also have a losing record of 4-5.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Harper Woods has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Ferndale struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.