The Mercyhurst Prep Lakers will face off against the Eisenhower Knights at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The timing is sure in Mercyhurst Prep's favor as the squad sits on seven straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Eisenhower has been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road also dating back to last season.
Mercyhurst Prep is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Youngsville a 15-0 shutout on Monday. The result was nothing new for the Lakers, who have now won five matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Brady Rice looked comfortable as he struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Mercyhurst Prep got a big performance out of Josh Majczyk, who scored a run while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Zack Kruszewski, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Mercyhurst Prep was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .444. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .375 or higher in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Eisenhower got the win against Iroquois on Monday by a conclusive 10-3. Considering the Knights' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Caleb Jakubczak made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He pitched six innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits. Jakubczak was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Wyatt Neall, who scored three runs and stole four bases while going 2-for-3. Jarius Casey was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and two RBI.
Mercyhurst Prep's win bumped their record up to 6-0. As for Eisenhower, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Mercyhurst Prep has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Eisenhower struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.5 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.
