The Independence Patriots will square off against the Lincoln Charter Eagles at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Independence is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past Garinger 24-6 on Tuesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Patriots.
Chris Odom was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Odom was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in both of his plate appearances.
Brian Crowder
| 03/18/25 vs Garinger | 5 |
| 03/07/25 @ Mallard Creek | 2 |
| 03/06/25 @ Parkwood | 2 |
| 02/28/25 vs Pine Lake Prep | 1 |
| 02/25/25 @ Mooresville | 1 |
In other batting news, Independence got a massive performance out of Brian Crowder, who scored five runs and stole Six bases. while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. Crowder is becoming a predictor of Independence's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 1-5 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Alfred Seaman, who got on base in all five of his plate appearances with five RBI, three runs, and one stolen base.
Independence always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .587. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, everything went Lincoln Charter's way against Bradford Prep on Tuesday as Lincoln Charter made off with an 18-4 win. The Eagles haven't had any issues with the Bears recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Ryder Springston looked comfortable as he pitched 2.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Reed Osborne, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with one home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Tyler Waterman, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Lincoln Charter's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-1. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Independence, their victory bumped their record up to 4-5.
Wednesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Independence has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .444. However, it's not like Lincoln Charter struggles in that department as they've averaged .537. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Independence couldn't quite finish off Lincoln Charter in their previous matchup back in March of 2024 and fell 10-8. Will Independence have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
