The Paoli Rams will head out to face off against the Perry Central Commodores at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Paoli's pitching crew has only allowed four runs per game this season, so Perry Central's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Paoli barely beat Crawford County the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Rams put the hurt on the Wolfpack with a sharp 14-4 win on Thursday. With that victory, the Rams brought their scoring average up to 6.5 runs per game.
Austin Chastain tossed a big game, pitching 6.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Cooper Spires, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with three RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Tyler Hannon, who went 1-for-5 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Paoli hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Perry Central entered their tilt with Evansville Christian on Thursday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They came out on top against the Eagles by a score of 8-5. With that win, the Commodores brought their scoring average up to 6.1 runs per game.
Cohen Edwards was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, one stolen base, and one run.
Paoli has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 8-6 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.8 runs over those games. As for Perry Central, they now have a winning record of 10-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Paoli has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Perry Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Paoli came out on top in a nail-biter against Perry Central when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 9-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rams since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
