The Hoover Vikings will square off against the Avon Eagles at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Hoover 2.4, Avon 4.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Hoover took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They came out on top against Field by a score of 6-1.
Evan Fuller looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances.
Ryan Cervenak
| 05/02/25 vs Field | 2 |
| 04/17/25 vs McKinley | 2 |
| 04/16/25 @ McKinley | 2 |
| 04/08/25 @ GlenOak | 2 |
| 04/04/25 vs Medina | 1 |
| + 1 more games |
At the plate, Ryan Cervenak was excellent, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two runs. Hoover is undefeated when Cervenak posts two or more runs, but 6-7 otherwise. Jack Andes was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
Hoover was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .385. The last time their batting average was this high was back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, while Avon put up some runs on Friday, the same can't be said for Keystone. The Eagles had just enough and edged out the Wildcats 1-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Eagles have posted since April 9th.
The result came thanks to Luke Holtzman's shutout, as he gave up just two hits and racked up eight Ks. Those eight strikeouts set a new season-high mark for him.
On the hitting side, Avon's victory was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Ian Cain, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.
Avon's win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 6-8. As for Hoover, their victory bumped their record up to 10-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Hoover has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Avon struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Hoover came out on top in a nail-biter against Avon in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 8-6. Will the Vikings repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
