The Union City Bears will face off against the Corry Beavers at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Union City came out on top against Eisenhower on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run fourth inning. The Bears blew past the Knights 9-2. The win continues a trend for the Bears in their matchups with the Knights: they've now won eight in a row.
Cooper Fox spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up 13 Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Trevin Capela, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March. Steven Klakamp was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last match, Corry made sure to put some runs up on the board against Seneca on Friday. The Beavers put the hurt on the Bobcats with a sharp 12-5 victory. The Beavers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Karson Chamberlin was incredible, going 4-for-5 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. He is becoming a predictor of Corry's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 5-1 (and 5-8 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Kamdyn Moon, who went 2-for-5 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Corry kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Corry is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-9 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.2 runs over those games. As for Union City, their victory bumped their record up to 8-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Union City has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Corry struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Union City came out on top in a nail-biter against Corry in their previous matchup back in April of 2018, sneaking past 4-3. Will the Bears repeat their success, or do the Beavers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
