Baseball Game Preview: Bayside Bears vs. Sebastian River Sharks

Bayside is 2-8 against Sebastian River since March of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Bayside Bears will challenge the Sebastian River Sharks at 6:00 p.m. Bayside's pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so Sebastian River's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Bayside took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They won by a run and slipped past Titusville 6-5.

Sam Welte was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of Brody Garrisson, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI.

Meanwhile, Sebastian River fought the good fight in their extra-innings match against Jensen Beach on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Falcons by a score of 3-2. The defeat continues a trend for the Sharks in their meetings with the Falcons: they've now lost seven in a row.

Thomas Villars made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with one home run and one stolen base.

Bayside's victory bumped their record up to 9-3. As for Sebastian River, their loss dropped their record down to 2-9.

Sebastian River's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Bayside has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .431. It's a different story for Sebastian River, though, as they've only averaged .290. Will they be able to contain Bayside's hitters?

Bayside skirted past Sebastian River 6-5 when the teams last played back in February. The rematch might be a little tougher for Bayside since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.