The Hanks Knights will be taking part in a tournament against the Chapin Huskies at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. One thing working in Hanks' favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three contests.
While Hanks didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-19), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They were the clear victors by a 15-3 margin over Bowie on Friday. The Knights haven't had any issues with the Bears recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Raul Melendez made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. Melendez was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI. Those two hits gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Lorenzo Salcido was incredible, going 3-for-4 with four runs, two triples, and three RBI. Those two triples gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jacob Meneses, who went 2-for-3 with three runs and one RBI.
Hanks kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in 11 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Chapin came up short against Horizon on Friday, falling 11-4. The Huskies haven't had much luck with the Scorpions recently, as the team has come up short the last five times they've met.
Chapin saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nathan Hurtado, who went 1-for-2 with one RBI.
Hanks' record is now 7-3-2. As for Chapin, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-7-1.
Saturday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Hanks hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .383. However, it's not like Chapin struggles in that department as they've averaged .374. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hanks was able to grind out a solid win over Chapin when the teams last played back in March of 2025, winning 15-11. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
