Baseball Game Preview: East Central Eagles vs. Aitkin Gobblers

The East Central Eagles will head out to square off against the Aitkin Gobblers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.

As a matter of fact, East Central put up the most runs they have all season on Thursday. They put the hurt on Ogilvie with a sharp 14-1 victory. The win was some much needed relief for the Eagles as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, Aitkin got the win against Mille Lacs co-op [Isle/Onamia] on Friday by a conclusive 10-4. Considering the Gobblers have won six matches by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.

Drew Paulbeck was a standout: he went 4-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Cole Trotter, who went 4-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.

The victory made it two in a row for Aitkin and bumps their season record up to 6-3. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for East Central, their victory bumped their record up to 3-4.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. East Central has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Aitkin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.

East Central couldn't quite get it done against Aitkin in their previous meeting back in May of 2017 as they fell 7-2. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.