The Mott Marauders are taking a road trip to face off against the Fitzgerald Spartans at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Mott took a seven-run loss the last time they faced off against New Haven, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Marauders narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Rockets 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Marauders have posted since April 13, 2024.
Lucas Wypiszewski spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on four hits and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Kevin Barden, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and one run. Another player making a difference was Alex Dunn, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, Fitzgerald had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. Everything went their way against Farber Hebrew Day on Tuesday as they made off with a 10-2 win. Considering the Spartans have won six contests by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Thomas Baranski made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). Baranski was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Fitzgerald is undefeated when Baranski posts three or more hits, but 5-10 otherwise.
In other batting news, Leiland McCallep was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. He has become a key player for Fitzgerald: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 5-9 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Dexter Garda, who went 1-for-4 with one stolen base and two RBI.
Mott is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Fitzgerald, their record is now 8-10.
Everything went Mott's way against Fitzgerald when the teams last played back in April, as Mott made off with a 21-4 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Marauders since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
