Baseball Preview: Encinal Jets vs. Head-Royce Jayhawks
Encinal is on a four-game streak of home wins, while Head-Royce is on a four-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Encinal Jets will take on the Head-Royce Jayhawks at 1:30 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Saturday, Encinal got themselves on the board against Mission, but Mission never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Bears with a sharp 25-0 win.
Darren Olson looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (he also didn't allow any walks).
On the hitting side, Evan Furuichi was a standout: he scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. Another player making a difference was Eric Proctor, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3.
Meanwhile, Head-Royce scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Saturday. They were the clear victor by a 14-7 margin over Lincoln.
Davis Lynch made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned run off two hits (he also only allowed one walk). Lynch has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. Lynch was even better at the plate, going 4-for-6 with seven RBI, two doubles, and a run.
In other batting news, Head-Royce got a massive performance out of Caleb Roth, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4. Graham Sanger was another key contributor, scoring three runs while going 2-for-4.
Encinal is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 7-6 record this season. As for Head-Royce, their victory bumped their record up to 8-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Encinal has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Head-Royce struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10.7. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Encinal beat Head-Royce 6-1 in their previous matchup back in February of 2018. Does Encinal have another victory up their sleeve, or will Head-Royce turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
