vs
| 05/01/24 - Away | 7-2 W |
| 04/19/24 - Away | 1-6 L |
| 04/16/24 - Home | 3-2 W |
| 04/20/23 - Away | 3-9 L |
| 04/17/23 - Home | 4-1 W |
| + 5 more games |
Wakefield and Heritage are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2021, but likely not for long. The Wolverines will host the Huskies at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Wakefield's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Heritage's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Wakefield is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Millbrook just ended the team's nine-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of the Wildcats by a score of 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Wolverines have suffered since April 1, 2024.
Ethan Wisler was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. Wisler was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Wisler wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Ben Dudash, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and one stolen base. That home run was Dudash's first of the season.
Heritage hadn't beaten Wake Forest on the road since May 10, 2022 but that history sure didn't bother them on Tuesday. The Huskies blew past the Cougars 13-4. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Huskies.
Holden Kafes looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has become a key player for Heritage: the team is 5-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 4-7 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Jack Merrell was a standout: he fired off two home runs and seven RBI while going 3-for-4. Those two home runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Tyler Abbe, who scored four runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4.
Heritage always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .558. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wake Forest only posted an OBP of .400.
Heritage now has a winning record of 9-8. As for Wakefield, their loss was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 5-1 and their overall record down to 15-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Wakefield has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Heritage struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Wakefield was able to grind out a solid victory over Heritage in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, winning 7-2. Will the Wolverines repeat their success, or do the Huskies have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
