The Apollo Eagles are taking a road trip to square off against the Warren East Raiders at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Apollo's pitching crew has only allowed 2.4 runs per game this season, so Warren East's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Apollo came out on top against Union County on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run first inning. The Eagles walked away with an 8-3 win over the Braves. The victory continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Braves: they've now won six in a row.
The team relied heavily on Jagger Pate, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Gunnar Hendricks, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, Warren East got themselves on the board against Glasgow on Wednesday, but Glasgow never followed suit. They walked away with a 4-0 win over the Scotties. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Raiders.
Brenden Bratcher made a big impact no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run over seven innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, William Alexander was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and two RBI.
Warren East hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Apollo pushed their record up to 13-7 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Warren East, their record is now 8-13.
Warren East's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Apollo hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .331. It's a different story for Warren East, though, as they've only averaged .233. Will they be able to contain Apollo's hitters?
Apollo skirted past Warren East 3-1 in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
