The Buchholz Bobcats will head out on the road to take on the Bartram Trail Bears at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Buchholz is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Last Wednesday, Buchholz was able to grind out a solid victory over North Marion, taking the game 8-3.
Wyatt Clarke looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two hits in 14 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Kai So, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Zac Brown, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Bartram Trail not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since April 24, 2024. They put the hurt on Fleming Island with a sharp 9-3 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bears.
Coleson Baum looked comfortable as he tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has become a key player for Bartram Trail: the team is 4-2 when he allows at most two hits, but 4-8 otherwise.
At the plate, Luke Labbe was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. He is becoming a predictor of Bartram Trail's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 3-1 (and 5-9 when he doesn't). Dominic Cantona also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Buchholz's victory was their 15th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 17-0. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Bartram Trail, their record is now 8-10.
Buchholz was able to grind out a solid victory over Bartram Trail when the teams last played back in March of 2024, winning 5-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Buchholz since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
