Baseball Preview: Ponce De Leon Pirates vs. Baker Gators
The Ponce De Leon Pirates will be staying on the road on Monday to face off against the Baker Gators at 6:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Ponce De Leon scored the most runs they've had all season to find success last Tuesday. They put the hurt on Poplar Springs with a sharp 14-4 victory.
Dalton Churchwell was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out 11 batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Churchwell was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, Mark Flynn was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Ryan Moon was another key contributor, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, a triple, and a run.
Baker never got on the board in their matchup on March 14th, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Laurel Hill on Thursday. They blew past the Hoboes 13-2.
Like Ponce De Leon, Baker also got a great game from a two-way player: Judah Morse. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Morse has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances. Morse was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base.
In other batting news, Joel Morse was a standout: he scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Maddox Smith, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
Ponce De Leon's record now sits at 4-2. As for Baker, their record now sits at 10-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Ponce De Leon has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Baker struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Ponce De Leon suffered a grim 16-3 defeat to Baker in their previous meeting back in March of 2020. Thankfully for Ponce De Leon, Brody Sharpe (who scored three runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-4) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
