Manchester hasn't had much luck against Fairfield recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Greyhounds will take on the Lions at 5:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Manchester came out on top against Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run fourth inning. The Greyhounds blew past the Blue Jays 13-3. The Greyhounds might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six games by six runs or more this season.
Manchester got a massive performance out of Clayton Colvin, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Carson Inman also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Manchester always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .710. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Fairfield got the win against Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington on Tuesday by a conclusive 25-7. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Lions.
The team relied heavily on Zane Matthews, who got on base in all six of his plate appearances with five stolen bases, four runs, and one RBI. Those five stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Corey Zimmerman was another key player, going 2-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Fairfield pushed their record up to 8-6 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.3 runs over those games. As for Manchester, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-4 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Manchester has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Fairfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Manchester skirted past Fairfield 2-1 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Greyhounds since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
