The A.J. Ellender Patriots will face off against the South Plaquemines Hurricanes at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. A.J. Ellender has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the matchup with five straight defeats, while South Plaquemines will come in with four straight wins.
A.J. Ellender fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Crowley on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Gent by a score of 4-3.
Dakota Porche
| 03/11/25 @ Crowley | 11 |
| 03/06/25 vs Haynes Academy | 4 |
| 03/06/25 vs Fisher | 1 |
| 02/28/25 @ Bonnabel | 10 |
| 02/22/25 vs Denham Springs | 0 |
| + 13 more games |
Dakota Porche put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out 11 batters over 6.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in February of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, while South Plaquemines put up some runs on Wednesday, the same can't be said for West Jefferson. South Plaquemines put the hurt on West Jefferson with a sharp 10-0 victory. The Hurricanes might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three games by ten runs or more this season.
Like A.J. Ellender, South Plaquemines also got a great game from a two-way player: Gavin Ballay. He struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Ballay was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing Four bases. while going 1-for-1. Those stolen bases were his first of the season.
In other batting news, South Plaquemines let Rod Parker and Khi Ancar run wild. Parker scored a run and stole Two bases. while going 1-for-2, while Ancar scored two runs and stole Five bases. while going 1-for-1. Parker is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's snagged at least two every time he's taken the field this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Javonta Gomez, who scored a run and stole Three bases. while getting on base in both of his plate appearances.
South Plaquemines pushed their record up to 4-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 9 runs. As for A.J. Ellender, their loss dropped their record down to 3-11.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. A.J. Ellender has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .438. However, it's not like South Plaquemines struggles in that department as they've averaged .630. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
