The Sparta Trojans will head out to take on the Galena Bears at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Sparta hasn't scored more than two runs for three games straight, a trend the squad is eager to reverse.
On Monday, Sparta came up short against Clever and fell 5-2.
Braylen Luttrull made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one home run.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Galena, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They never let Walnut Grove get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory on Monday. Considering the Bears have won six games by more than nine runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Wyatt Doak made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Doak was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Cody Jones was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Galena is 5-1 when Jones posts two or more runs, but 1-3 otherwise. Jaxon Foster was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Galena hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Galena pushed their record up to 6-4 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.1 runs on average over those games. As for Sparta, they now have a losing record of 7-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Sparta has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Galena struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Sparta skirted past Galena 4-2 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Trojans since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
