Baseball Game Preview: Oliver Springs Bobcats vs. Central Magnet

The Oliver Springs Bobcats are taking a road trip to challenge Central Magnet at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Oliver Springs came into their game on Friday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They lost 10-1 to Washburn.

Oliver Springs saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nicholas Johnson, who went 2-for-3 with one run.

Central Magnet came out on top against Oneida on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run first inning. Central Magnet blew past Oneida 10-0. The result was nothing new for Central Magnet, who have now won eight matchups by six runs or more so far this season.

Braylon Dowell made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over six innings pitched. Central Magnet is 4-2 when Dowell allows two or fewer hits, but 9-10 otherwise. Dowell was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run. That's the most stolen bases he has posted over his last 13 games.

In other batting news, Joseph Rowell was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was John Roth, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.

Central Magnet hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive contests.

Central Magnet is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-12 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.2 runs over those games. As for Oliver Springs, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 12-9-1 record this season.