Baseball Preview: University Red Devils vs. Lick-Wilmerding Tigers
University is 10-0 against Lick-Wilmerding since April of 2021, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The University Red Devils will be playing in front of their home fans against the Lick-Wilmerding Tigers at 3:30 p.m. The timing is sure in University's favor as the team sits on three straight wins at home while Lick-Wilmerding has been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road.
On Wednesday, University earned a 6-1 victory over Stuart Hall.
Leo Felder made a splash no matter where he played. He tossed two innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Felder has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive pitching appearances. Felder was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing two bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Felder wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Quincy Nash, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-4. Another player making a difference was Will Sugar, who scored a run and stole two bases.
Meanwhile, it can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Lick-Wilmerding had no problem doing just that on Wednesday. They were the clear victor by a 12-2 margin over the Blues. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Lick-Wilmerding considering their one-run performance the match before.
Marley Hammons and Aidan Baird did most of the damage at the plate: Hammons went 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and a triple, while Baird scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Kian Perrone, who scored two runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
University is on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 14 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 17-7 record this season. As for Lick-Wilmerding, their win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 8-9-1.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. University has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .463. However, it's not like Lick-Wilmerding struggles in that department as they've averaged .439. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
University took their victory against Lick-Wilmerding in their previous matchup on Thursday by a conclusive 14-1. Will University repeat their success, or does Lick-Wilmerding have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
