The Chazy Eagles will challenge the Johnsburg Central Jaguars at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Friday, Chazy got the win against Boquet Valley by a conclusive 14-3. The victory continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Griffins: they've now won five in a row.
Jack McAuliffe was incredible, going 2-for-3 with four stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Novak Jarus, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, Johnsburg Central rose to the challenge on Thursday. They blew past the Wildcats 11-2. The win was nothing new for the Jaguars as they're now sitting on six straight.
Cole Millington was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 12 over six innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs.
In other batting news, Nicholas Sauer-Jones and Brayden Poirer did most of the damage at the plate: Sauer-Jones went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI, while Poirer went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Jeremiah Freebern, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
Johnsburg Central was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .379. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Schroon Lake only posted a batting average of .136.
Johnsburg Central pushed their record up to 10-3-1 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.7 runs over those games. As for Chazy, their victory bumped their record up to 10-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Chazy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Johnsburg Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Chazy couldn't quite finish off Johnsburg Central when the teams last played on May 2nd and fell 2-0. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
