Baseball Game Preview: Ashton-Franklin Center Raiders vs. Polo Marcos

Ashton-Franklin Center is 8-2 against Polo since May of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Raiders are taking a road trip to square off against the Marcos at 4:30 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

On Wednesday, Ashton-Franklin Center needed a bit of extra time to put away Annawan-Wethersfield. They came out on top against the Titans by a score of 10-9 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game).

The team relied heavily on Caleb Thomas, who got on base in all five of his plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most runs he has posted over his last 11 games. Another player making a difference was Nate Becker, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run.

Meanwhile, Polo hadn't done well against Ashton-Franklin Center recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Marcos skirted past the Raiders 10-9. Surprisingly, this marked the Marcos' fourth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.

Dawson Foster was excellent, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs and one double. Korbin Cavanaugh also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.

Ashton-Franklin Center is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.2 runs over those games. As for Polo, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 3-11.

Polo's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Ashton-Franklin Center has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .448. It's a different story for Polo, though, as they've only averaged .337. Will they be able to contain Ashton-Franklin Center's hitters? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.