Preview: Fairfield Tigers vs. Pleasant Grove Spartans
Fairfield is 0-10 against Pleasant Grove since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Fairfield Tigers will head out on the road to square off against the Pleasant Grove Spartans at 5:00 p.m. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Fairfield was handed a eight-point loss in their previous outing, but they didn't let that bad energy affect their game against Midfield on Wednesday. Fairfield had just enough and edged Midfield out 8-6. The victory was just what Fairfield needed coming off of a 14-6 defeat in their prior matchup.
Justin Murray made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched 2.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs but no hits. Murray was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on E J Watkins, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Jalen Kidd was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, Pleasant Grove can now show off nine landslide victories after their most recent match on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 14-6 margin over Fairfield. The win was familiar territory for Pleasant Grove who now have six in a row.
Like Fairfield, Pleasant Grove also got a great game from a two-way player: Kaleb Freeman. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Freeman has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. Freeman was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI.
In other batting news, Daylon Parks was a standout: he went 1-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and a stolen base. Another player making a difference was Elijah Hill, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
Fairfield's victory bumped their record up to 8-4-1. As for Pleasant Grove, their win bumped their record up to 11-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Fairfield has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Pleasant Grove struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 per game. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Fairfield suffered a grim 14-6 defeat to Pleasant Grove in their previous matchup on Tuesday. Can Fairfield avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
