Baseball Game Preview: Blackduck Drakes vs. Win-E-Mac Patriots

The Blackduck Drakes will face off against the Win-E-Mac Patriots at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

On Thursday, Blackduck needed a bit of extra time to put away Badger/Greenbush-Middle River. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Gators, sneaking past 4-3.

Meanwhile, Win-E-Mac came tearing into Tuesday's match with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-1 victory over the Thunderbirds.

Braylon Hamre spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on one hit and racked up 19 Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than 13 strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Owen Strom, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.

Win-E-Mac's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-1. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of 3.5 runs across that stretch. As for Blackduck, the victory got them back to even at 1-1.

Blackduck suffered a grim 10-4 defeat to Win-E-Mac in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will the Drakes have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.