The Patrick Henry Patriots will take on the Helix Highlanders in a tournament on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Patrick Henry 2, Helix 3.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Patrick Henry saw some tournament action on Wednesday. They came out on top against Bonita Vista by a score of 7-2. The victory continues a trend for the Patriots in their matchups with the Barons: they've now won five in a row.
Lukas Waite looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-low in walks (zero).
On the hitting side, Ian Brooke was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Alex Mestman, who scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Helix fell victim to Point Loma and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They fell just short of the Pointers by a score of 2-0. That's two games in a row now that the Highlanders have lost by exactly two runs.
Patrick Henry's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for Helix, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 2-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Patrick Henry has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Helix struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Patrick Henry took their victory against Helix in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 10-0. Will Patrick Henry repeat their success, or does Helix have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
