Baseball Preview: Independence 76ers vs. James Lick Comets
The Independence 76ers will look to defend their home field on Monday against the James Lick Comets at 4:00 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Having struggled with six defeats in a row, Independence finally turned things around against San Jose on Wednesday. Independence came out on top in a nail-biter against San Jose and snuck past 7-5. Independence's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Andre Wiesnoski and Isaiah Arroyo Martinez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Wiesnoski struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Arroyo Martinez struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. At the plate, Wiesnoski went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and a double, while Arroyo Martinez scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jordan Molina, who scored three runs and stole five bases while getting on base in four of his seven plate appearances. Molina is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's stolen at least one every time he's taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, James Lick had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 13 runs), and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Royals 9-8.
The team relied heavily on Nicolai Navarro, who went 2-for-4 with a home run, two stolen bases, and three RBI. Richard Vega was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.
Independence made their fans wait, but they earned their first win of the season to make their record 1-6. As for James Lick, they pushed their record up to 8-2 with that victory, which was their fourth straight at home.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Independence has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like James Lick struggles in that department as they've been averaging 11.3. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
