McKinley Tech is 0-10 against Jackson-Reed since March of 2017 but things could change on Wednesday. McKinley Tech will take on Jackson-Reed at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
McKinley Tech's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They blew past Woodson 22-0. The win continues a trend for the Trainers in their matchups with the Warriors: they've now won five in a row.
Coby Diediker made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Diediker was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, John Boyette was a standout: he scored three runs and stole five bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Cole Smith was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
McKinley Tech always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .852. The last time their OBP was this high was since the start of last season.
Meanwhile, Jackson-Reed made easy work of The Heights on Thursday and carried off an 8-0 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Tigers.
Like McKinley Tech, Jackson-Reed also got a great game from a two-way player: Zander Leckszas. On the mound, he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Leckszas has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
In other pitching news, Owen Stone looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Jackson Loomis, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-5. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Etan Rosario also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
McKinley Tech's win was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-0.the team's perfect season has a lot to do with their hitting performance: the team won's by an average of 14.8 runs thus far As for Jackson-Reed, their record now sits at 9-3.
McKinley Tech suffered a grim 18-0 defeat to Jackson-Reed in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can McKinley Tech avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
