Baseball Game Preview: Liberty Center Tigers vs. Hicksville Aces

The Liberty Center Tigers will head out on the road to take on the Hicksville Aces at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Having struggled with six defeats in a row, Liberty Center turned things around against Eastwood on Monday. They put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 12-3 win. That looming 12-3 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Tigers yet this season.

Hicksville came out on top against Holgate on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run seventh inning. The Aces walked away with an 8-3 victory over the Tigers.

Parker Bassett made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. Bassett was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. He is becoming a predictor of Hicksville's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 4-1 (and 2-4 when he doesn't).

In other batting news, Eli Lawrence was excellent, going 1-for-2 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Brant Langham was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.

Hicksville now has a winning record of 6-5. As for Liberty Center, their record is now 4-7.

Liberty Center skirted past Hicksville 7-6 when the teams last played back in April of 2022. 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.