The James Monroe Mavericks will challenge the WestSide Renegades at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in James Monroe's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three games.
On Thursday, James Monroe made easy work of Mingo Central and carried off a 14-4 victory. That's two games straight that the Mavericks have won by exactly ten runs.
Kadyn Hines made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up four earned runs off only two hits. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two hits in 13 consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, James Monroe got a massive performance out of Peyton Gardinier, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That's the most RBI Gardinier has posted since back in April. Cameron Crislip was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double.
James Monroe always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .633. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, WestSide was able to grind out a solid win over Mingo Central on Monday, taking the game 9-5. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Renegades.
Like James Monroe, WestSide also got a great game from a two-way player: Charlie Hawks. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. Hawks was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Zachary Short, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
James Monroe is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-12 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.1 runs on average over those games. As for WestSide, their win bumped their record up to 9-17.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. James Monroe has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like WestSide struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
James Monroe skirted past WestSide 6-5 when the teams last played back in April. Will the Mavericks repeat their success, or do the Renegades have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
