Preview: Buchholz Bobcats vs. St. Johns Country Day Spartans
The Buchholz Bobcats will be staying on the road on Wednesday to face off against the St. Johns Country Day Spartans at 7:00 p.m. Buchholz is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
Buchholz put the finishing touches on their fourth blowout victory of the season on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 21-6 margin over Forest. Buchholz's win was all the more impressive since Forest was averaging only 4.08 runs allowed on the season.
Anthony Wilkie and Aidan Kastensmidt made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Wilkie struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Kastensmidt pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks). He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single hit in three consecutive pitching appearances. At bat, Wilkie went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs, while Kastensmidt went 2-for-2 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Blake Brewer, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of Cooper Collins, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, St. Johns Country Day came up short against Oakleaf on Tuesday and fell 8-5. It was the first time this season that St. Johns Country Day let down their fans at home.
Jack Ensell was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out ten over six innings pitched.
At the plate, Nick Bowden made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was James Gilson, who went 1-for-4 with a home run.
Buchholz pushed their record up to 7-2 with that victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs per game. As for St. Johns Country Day, their defeat ended an 11-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 8-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Buchholz has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like St. Johns Country Day struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.2 per game. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Buchholz couldn't quite finish off St. Johns Country Day in their previous matchup back in February and fell 4-2. Can Buchholz avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
