The Goddard Rockets will venture away from home to take on the Hope Christian Huskies at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Goddard comes in on three and Hope Christian on ten.
Goddard is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 win over Bloomfield.
The team relied heavily on Jaden Fuentes, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. Drake Brown also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Meanwhile, Hope Christian faced Santa Teresa in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. The Huskies had just enough and edged out the Warriors 8-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Huskies have posted since March 28th.
Jaden Wright made a splash while hitting and pitching. He tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Wright was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Trey Baillio was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one triple, one double, and one RBI. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. Porter Chastain was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Hope Christian 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 eight hits in 12 consecutive matchups.
Goddard's record now sits at 22-7. As for Hope Christian, their record is now 23-6.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Goddard has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .464. However, it's not like Hope Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .486. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Goddard got the 'W' when the teams last played back in May of 2019 against Hope Christian by a conclusive 12-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rockets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
