Baseball Game Preview: Atkins Red Devils vs. Guy-Perkins Thunderbirds

The Atkins Red Devils will face off against the Guy-Perkins Thunderbirds at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Atkins is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.3 runs per game this season.

On Tuesday, Atkins got the win against Two Rivers by a conclusive 16-1. That's two games straight that the Red Devils have won by exactly 15 runs.

Meanwhile, Guy-Perkins was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost an 8-7 heartbreaker at the hands of Nemo Vista.

Urijah Fortner put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off four hits. Fortner was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three runs and one stolen base. He is becoming a predictor of Guy-Perkins' success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 4-1 (and 3-6 when he doesn't).

In other batting news, Peyton Pierce made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three RBI and one double. Cardan Foster was another key player, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.

Atkins has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 8-8 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games. As for Guy-Perkins, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-7.

Guy-Perkins' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Atkins hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .357. It's a different story for Guy-Perkins, though, as they've only averaged .255. Will they be able to contain Atkins' hitters?

Atkins got the 'W' in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 against Guy-Perkins by a conclusive 14-4 score. Will the Red Devils repeat their success, or do the Thunderbirds have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.