Baseball Game Preview: Rockland Central Wildcats vs. Eldred Yellowjackets

The Rockland Central Wildcats will head out to face off against the Eldred Yellowjackets at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.

Things were looking good for Rockland Central after they put the first run on the board on Friday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They came up short against Tri-Valley, falling 10-3. The Wildcats have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Meanwhile, Eldred came up short against Sullivan West on Wednesday and fell 7-4. The Yellowjackets have struggled against the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.

Evan Zgrodek was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and four unearned) runs off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one RBI.

In other batting news, Jayson Banach was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with five stolen bases and three runs. Another player making a difference was Mason Tice, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

Rockland Central's record now sits at 1-3. As for Eldred, their record is now 2-10.

Rockland Central came up short against Eldred in their previous meeting last Monday, falling 9-4. Can the Wildcats avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.