Baseball Preview: Amundsen Vikings vs. Payton College Prep Grizzlies
The Amundsen Vikings will be staying on the road on Wednesday to face off against the Payton College Prep Grizzlies at 6:00 p.m. Amundsen is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.7 runs per game this season.
Amundsen will head into Monday's game ready to turn things around: they couldn't quite beat Taft on Monday, but the two-run margin was a huge improvement compared to the six-run loss they were dealt on Saturday. Amundsen fell just short of Taft by a score of 5-3.
Henry Holper put in work no matter where he played. He struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits (and not a single walk). Holper has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. Holper was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
Holper wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Kael O'Conor, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Payton College Prep came tearing into Tuesday's contest with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Wolfpack 7-0.
Like Amundsen, Payton College Prep also got a great game from a two-way player: Derek Patton. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Patton was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Freddie Matvias, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Sam Merrill was another key contributor, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Amundsen's defeat dropped their record down to 18-11. As for Payton College Prep, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 12-12-1 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Amundsen has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Payton College Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.8. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Amundsen was able to grind out a solid victory over Payton College Prep in their previous meeting back in April of 2023, winning 6-3. Does Amundsen have another victory up their sleeve, or will Payton College Prep turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
