The DeMatha Stags will face off against the Jackson-Reed Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (DeMatha 2.9, Jackson-Reed 3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
DeMatha is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another highly-ranked state team: Gonzaga, who was ranked 19th in their home state at the time (DeMatha was ranked seventh). The Stags took a 6-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Eagles on Wednesday. The Stags' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Wes Hall was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out nine batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits (and not a single walk). The dominant performance also gave him a new career-low in walks (zero).
At the plate, DeMatha saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brooks Franklin, who went 1-for-3 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, Jackson-Reed had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Wednesday. They never let the Griffins get on the board and left with an 18-0 victory. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matches by eight runs or more this season.
Lewis Lahey looked comfortable as he struck out seven batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Ben Shapiro, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, four RBI, and one double. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Roscoe Stutz, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run.
Jackson-Reed kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Jackson-Reed's win bumped their record up to 12-3. As for DeMatha, their loss dropped their record down to 13-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. DeMatha has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Jackson-Reed struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went DeMatha's way against Jackson-Reed when the teams last played back in March of 2024, as DeMatha made off with a 9-1 victory. Do the Stags have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tigers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
