The James F. Byrnes Rebels will face off against the Wade Hampton Generals at 6:30 p.m. on Monday.
James F. Byrnes is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Riverside just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They fell just short of the Warriors by a score of 6-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Rebels have suffered against the Warriors since March 13, 2019.
James F. Byrnes got a good showing from Jack Bailey, who pitched 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. What's more, Bailey gave up only two walks, the fewest he's had since back in March.
On the hitting side, James F. Byrnes got a big performance out of Blake Collins, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one double. Landon Hulehan was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Wade Hampton, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They never let Eastside get on the board and left with a 7-0 win on Thursday. That seven run margin sets a new team best for the Generals this season.
Jack Stepp made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over six innings pitched. Stepp was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two RBI and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Jonas Moore was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Andrew Gregar, who went 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
James F. Byrnes' defeat dropped their record down to 11-8. As for Wade Hampton, their victory bumped their record up to 6-10.
James F. Byrnes came out on top in a nail-biter against Wade Hampton in their previous meeting back in April of 2022, sneaking past 13-12. Will the Rebels repeat their success, or do the Generals have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
