Afton hasn't had much luck against Chouteau-Mazie recently, but that could start to change on Friday. Afton will square off against Chouteau-Mazie at 4:30 p.m. Afton has given up an average of 8.4 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Afton is headed into Friday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Thursday. They lost 13-2 to Wyandotte. The contest marked the Eagles' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Afton saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Tristan Owens, who went 1-for-2 with one triple and one RBI. That triple was Owens' first of the season. Brady Robinson was another, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Chouteau-Mazie). They blew past Colcord 17-10 on Thursday. With that victory, the Wildcats brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Lucas Grossman made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. He is becoming a predictor of Chouteau-Mazie's success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is 4-1 (and 0-8 when he doesn't). Grossman was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.
In other batting news, Kyler Hill was excellent, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his six plate appearances. That's the most runs he has posted since March 3rd. The team also got some help courtesy of Carson Channon, who got on base in three of his six plate appearances with two RBI.
Chouteau-Mazie always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive matchups.
Chouteau-Mazie's win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-9. As for Afton, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-6.
Chouteau-Mazie's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Afton hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .327. It's a different story for Chouteau-Mazie, though, as they've only averaged .187. Will they be able to contain Afton's hitters?
Afton suffered a grim 12-1 defeat to Chouteau-Mazie when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can Afton avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
