The Pearl City Wolves will challenge the Forreston Cardinals at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Pearl City is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
Pearl City gave up the first runs on Saturday, but they didn't let that get them down. They had just enough and edged out East Dubuque 4-3. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Wolves.
Pearl City saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jacob Runkle, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. Brody Voegeli was another, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Forreston waltzed into their game on Thursday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They were the clear victors by a 22-3 margin over the Broncos. The result was nothing new for the Cardinals, who have now won 13 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Carson Akins was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two hits in nine consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases and four runs. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Forreston got a massive performance out of Kendall Erdmann, who went 1-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Those five RBI gave Erdmann a new career-high. Darin Greenfield also deserves some recognition as he launched his first home run of the season.
Forreston kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Orangeville only managed three hits.
Pearl City pushed their record up to 13-8 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Forreston, their record is now 20-4.
Both Pearl City and Forreston just can't seem to miss. The Wolves have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.7 hits per game. However, it's not like Forreston struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.1 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pearl City couldn't quite get it done against Forreston when the teams last played back in March of 2023 as they fell 5-1. Can the Wolves avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
