Rotan is preparing for their first district matchup of the season on Friday. They will venture away from home to take on the Westbrook Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. Rotan has now lost eight straight dating back to last season, leaving the team hunting for their first win since March 29.
Two weeks ago, Rotan came up short against Northside and fell 17-13.
Elijah Norton was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Sam Helms, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one double.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last game, Westbrook made sure to put some runs up on the board against O'Donnell on Tuesday. The Wildcats put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 16-6 win. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Wildcats' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Jaxson Browne spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered five earned (and one unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up eight Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Grayson Jeffrey was incredible, going 3-for-4 with four stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Caleb Browne also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Westbrook always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .590. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Rotan's loss dropped their record down to 0-3. As for Westbrook, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.
Rotan might still be hurting after the 11-0 defeat they got from Westbrook in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Yellowhammers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
