Baseball Preview: Licking Heights Hornets vs. Mt. Vernon Yellowjackets
The Licking Heights Hornets will head out on the road to challenge the Mt. Vernon Yellowjackets at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Licking Heights is no doubt hoping to put an end to an eight-game streak of away losses.
On Thursday, Licking Heights earned a 4-1 win over Zanesville.
Blake Caldwell spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered one run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up six Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Carson Johnson was excellent, scoring a run while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Kaleb Ribbing was another key contributor, going 1-for-3 with a triple, a run, and an RBI.
Meanwhile, Mt. Vernon entered their tilt with Madison Comprehensive with nine consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with ten. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Rams on Thursday and snuck past 4-2.
Kayden Packard was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off eight hits (and only one walk). Packard was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ezra Kurek, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Konner Daughriety, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Licking Heights' record now sits at 5-12. As for Mt. Vernon, their record now sits at 13-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Licking Heights has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Mt. Vernon struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Licking Heights couldn't quite finish off Mt. Vernon when the teams last played back in April of 2019 and fell 8-6. Can Licking Heights avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
