The Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks will head out to face off against the Grassfield Grizzlies at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. The last five games Newburgh Free Academy has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Newburgh Free Academy gave up the first runs on Wednesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They won by a run and slipped past Fairport 3-2. The three-run effort marked the Goldbacks' lowest-scoring matchup of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
Connor Hollenbeck looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two hits any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Mason Hoover was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of Nick Schmidt, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Grassfield fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Cape Henry Collegiate on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Dolphins by a score of 3-2. The loss continues a trend for the Grizzlies in their meetings with the Dolphins: they've now lost three in a row.
Logan Shaw was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over 5.2 innings pitched.
At the plate, Josh Nelson was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-2 with one home run. Ian Shickley also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Newburgh Free Academy has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-2 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Grassfield, they suffered their first road defeat, dropping their record down to 4-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Newburgh Free Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Grassfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
