Baseball Game Preview: Phoenix Pirates vs. Henley Hornets

Phoenix hasn't had much luck against Henley recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Pirates will square off against the Hornets at 5:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

The home team had won the previous three meetings between Phoenix and Mazama, and Phoenix kept the tradition alive. The Pirates walked away with a 5-1 victory over the Vikings on Friday. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Pirates as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, Henley had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.8 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. They came out on top against the Mustangs by a score of 5-2.

Mark Carpenter was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out 14 batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits (and only one walk). Those 14 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.

In other batting news, Beau Pyle was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Max Price, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.

Henley's record is now 7-2-1. As for Phoenix, their victory was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 3-4.

Phoenix might still be hurting after the 18-3 loss they got from Henley when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Pirates avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.