The Wittenberg-Birnamwood Chargers will venture away from home to take on the Waupaca Comets at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Wittenberg-Birnamwood is coming into the contest hot, having won their last 14 games.
On Thursday, Wittenberg-Birnamwood got the win against Weyauwega-Fremont by a conclusive 14-1. Considering the Chargers have won 12 matches by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Connor Meverden and Zandyr Barke made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Meverden pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Barke tossed 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meverden has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two hits in ten consecutive appearances. At the plate, Meverden went 1-for-3 with one triple and two RBI, while Barke went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Hayden Miller, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Eddie Nowinsky, who got on base in two of his three plate appearances with three stolen bases and two runs.
Meanwhile, Waupaca beat Clintonville 4-1 on Thursday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Comets.
Like Wittenberg-Birnamwood, Waupaca also got a great game from a two-way player: Cael Prey. He didn't allow a single earned run over seven innings pitched. Prey was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Max Dolski was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. Waupaca is 3-1 when Dolski posts two or more runs, but 5-12 otherwise. John Zeamer was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood's win was their ninth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 21-2. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Waupaca, their record is now 8-13.
Waupaca's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Wittenberg-Birnamwood has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .432. It's a different story for Waupaca, though, as they've only averaged .322. Will they be able to contain Wittenberg-Birnamwood's hitters? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
