vs
| 05/10/24 - Away | 2-4 L |
| 05/13/22 - Away | 10-8 W |
| 05/14/21 - Home | 3-15 L |
| 05/21/19 - Home | 2-1 W |
| 05/11/18 - Away | 7-3 W |
| 05/12/17 - Home | 3-8 L |
Manchester and Heritage are an even 3-3 against one another since May of 2017, but likely not for long. The Squires will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Patriots at 6:00 p.m. Manchester is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.3 runs per game this season.
Things were looking good for Manchester after they put the first run on the board on Wednesday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of Lewis Cass by a score of 5-4.
Evan Estep spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Ethan Hendrix made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one home run and two runs. Reiss Gaerte was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Heritage has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 3.44 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Thursday. They fell just short of Jay County by a score of 11-10.
Cameron Rauner was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over 6.1 innings while giving up six earned (and five unearned) runs off 12 hits (and not a single walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one double.
In other batting news, Beau Stoppenhagen led a balanced group of hitters, going 2-for-5 with one home run. Another player making a difference was Iestyn Roe, who went 2-for-4 with three runs and one double.
Manchester has been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 10-12 record this season. As for Heritage, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Manchester has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Heritage struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Manchester couldn't quite finish off Heritage in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 and fell 4-2. Will the Squires have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
