Preview: Upstate Eagles vs. Blacksburg Wildcats
The Upstate Eagles are on the road again on Monday to play the Blacksburg Wildcats at 5:30 p.m. Upstate is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 10 runs per game this season.
Upstate never got on the board in their matchup back in February, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Anderson C last Monday. Everything went their way against the Cavaliers as they made off with a 14-8 win.
Owen Brewster made a big impact no matter where he played. He tossed 3.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (he also only allowed one walk). Brewster was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Upstate let Andrew Jensen and Brett Schaefer loose on the outfield. Jensen went 2-for-5 with a home run, two stolen bases, and two runs, while Schaefer scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Jake Korol, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, while Blacksburg put up some runs on Thursday, the same can't be said for Chesnee. Blacksburg came out on top against Chesnee by a score of 5-0.
Like Upstate, Blacksburg also got a great game from a two-way player: Levi Barrett. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over 6.1 innings pitched. Barrett was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBI, and a double.
Barrett wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Jerrettt Alexander, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Upstate's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-1. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs per game. As for Blacksburg, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matches, which provided a massive bump to their 5-5 record this season.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Upstate has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .478. However, it's not like Blacksburg struggles in that department as they've averaged .451. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
